A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF LINTZ |
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Half a mile or so to the west of the
Leazes in Burnopfield is the village of Lintz, a name that has been
associated with the area for hundreds of years. The spelling of Lintz has
changed many times over the centuries, with variations such as Lynce, Lynths,
Lynz and Lynze all being recorded at one time or another. The name itself is derived
from that of a wealthy family known as ‘de Lynz’, who settled in the area
before or during the twelfth century. Probably originating from the area near
the modern city of Linz in Austria, it is believed that they moved to England
to escape religious persecution. Granted to them by the Norman kings
of England, the family state was originally known as the Villa of Lynz, at
the centre of which was a fine house, known as Lynz Hall. This was probably
built early in the thirteenth century. Because of their turbulent past, the
family built a passage round the house between the inner and outer walls for
use as a refuse in times of danger. They also built a small chapel in the
nearby Priestfield area, similar to the one at Friarside. In 1352, the Bishop
of Durham confiscated the estate from Richard de Lynz when his son, Thomas,
was outlawed for felony. The estate changed hands several times over the
centuries and was divided into portions. Lynz Hall was eventually converted
into a farmhouse but this fell into ruins. These could still be seen at the
beginning of the twentieth century, but they have now completely gone, the
last stones being used to build batteries for egg production in a local
chicken farm. The rural calm of the Villa of Lynz
was shattered in the year 1855 when a number of pits were opened in the area
and the village of Lintz Colliery was created. The village thrived, soon it
had its own public house, methodist chapel, recreational facilities and
Miner’s Institute. However, when the colliery closed in 1929, the surface
works were all cleared away, the shafts were later demolished and replaced by
a pleasant estate of brick built houses with lawns and open grass spaces. Of
the old village, only the public house remains. Today there is practically
nothing to show that mining flourished for almost a hundred years in this
district, except the grass-grown sites of the old waggonways. |