The White Swan in Greenside on the Lead Road from Blaydon to Allendale was once known as The Swan, and was frequented by keelmen from Swalwell. The reason they came so far was probably to avoid the police at a time when it was illegal to plan strikes. Or maybe they came for the cock- fighting.

The oldest building in the Greenside/Woodside area. Built by the Hedworth family, probably in the early 1600s, it passed into the hands of Stephen Coulson, whose initials are over the door. It was used to house miners in the 1800s, but has now been restored for single occupancy.

In July, Greenside Local History Group hired a minbus for a trip to the leadmining museum at Killhope in Upper Weardale. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors, but several people still decided to go down into the cold damp mine.

The old Chip Shop closed a long time ago, but at least there's another one. The garage has gone as well, so you need to go to Crawcrook or Barmoor now.

Greenside suffers from litter louts like everywhere else. Who on earth went out of their way to dump this lot down Barlow Lane?

The History Ramble from Greenside to Chopwell Wood via the old waggonway to Strothers, and back through Coalburns, looks at the history of the former Chopwell Estate. This belonged originally to the abbey at Morpeth, but came into the hands of the Swinburne family in the 1500s. John Swinburne was exiled to Spain after plotting against the monarchy, after which the land was extensively mined for coal. Whitefield coal from Penny Hill was very high quality.

The John Bull tree on Jacky's Plantation on Rockwood Hill, a favourite play-area. John Bull was a symbol of the British Empire.

The first Primitive Methodist chapel was on the Lead Road. The one in the picture is on Dyke Heads Lane - no longer a chapel, of course.

Greenside really is green! The name was probably the name of a house originally, maybe belonging to one of the first waggonway engineers in the 1600s

The Village Walk goes from the Community Centre to Greenside Church, then via lanes and fields to Dyke Heads, across the main road to the old railway line (the "Dilly Line") and along this to the Millennium Green. There is a wealth of history in the buildings and landscape. This picture is at St John's Church.

The Village Walk goes from the Community Centre to Greenside Church, then via lanes and fields to Dyke Heads, across the main road to the old railway line (the "Dilly Line") and along this to the Millennium Green. There is a wealth of history in the buildings and landscape. This picture is at St John's Church.