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Latitude: 54.8303 / 54°49'48"N
Longitude: -2.0775 / 2°4'38"W
OS Eastings: 395120
OS Northings: 548382
OS Grid: NY951483
Mapcode National: GBR FDYL.18
Mapcode Global: WHB2Z.2V0F
Plus Code: 9C6VRWJF+42
Entry Name: Giant's Stride, west of The Old School, in former schoolyard
Listing Date: 5 June 1987
Last Amended: 9 January 2015
Grade: II
Source: Historic England
Source ID: 1229910
English Heritage Legacy ID: 404392
ID on this website: 101229910
Location: Townfield, County Durham, DH8
County: County Durham
Civil Parish: Hunstanworth
Traditional County: Durham
Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): County Durham
Church of England Parish: Blanchland with Hunstanworth
Church of England Diocese: Newcastle
Tagged with: Architectural structure
Playground Stride, 1866.
Playground Stride, 1866.
Set into the former playground of Townfield School, the stride comprises a tall wooden pole considered to be English hardwood. There are three bands of wrought iron at the top (the lower having become displaced) and a double-hoop finial with four attached hooks, from which short chains attached to ropes were hung.
Townfield School (listed Grade II) was designed by Samuel Sanders Teulon in 1863 for Rev W Capper, as part of Hunstanworth model village. A set of school log books dating from the opening of the school in 1864 has been located and an entry in one dated 1866 records the construction of a ‘Giant's Stride’ donated by the local clergyman and his wife for the use of the school’s boys: 'Mrs Simons [the vicar Dr Simons and his wife visited regularly and often helped with lessons] presented to the girls some skipping ropes for general use during playtime. Dr Simons proposed and gave orders for the erection of a 'giant's stride' for the boys.'
A giant's stride was a piece of playground apparatus in the form of a pole with ropes attached for taking big swinging leaps. The school closed in the mid-1970s and was converted to a private dwelling.
This giant's stride of 1866 is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity: it is an extremely rare example of Victorian school playground apparatus;
* Group value: it benefits from strong group value due to its proximity and functional relationship with the Grade II listed school;
* Historic interest: it is a rare survival of the Victorian approach to childhood play, for which it has social and cultural interest.
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
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