The earliest record of Dryburn dates to January 1352, when Bishop Thomas Hatfield granted land known as Driburnhouse to Isabel, the daughter of Robert de Leicester. It was given “per servicmm forinsecum” so possibly for some foreign service. After a long and varied history, which included being the site of executions, the land was acquired by one of the most prominent Durham families of the 19th century: the Whartons.

In 1840 it was the property of Sarah, widow of the Rev. Robert Wharton, Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral and Archdeacon of Stow, originally from Old Park near Spennymoor. Their son, William Lloyd Wharton built there a grand property called Dryburn Hall and lived there until he died in 1871. William was a very significant figure in Durham’s history. A colliery owner in Coundon, he was also Chair of Durham Markets Company and the North Eastern Railway. When the railway came to Durham in the 1850s the station was, perhaps not by coincidence, built on his land. He also helped found the Durham Regatta (the major trophy of the Regatta is still named after him) as well as the Durham Rifle Club and in 1858 donated to the public a piece of land known as Windy Hill, which is better known now as Wharton Park. The Park was one of the first public open spaces in the region, and the site of the first Durham Miners Gala.

Upon the death of William Lloyd, Dryburn was inherited by John Lloyd Wharton, who served as the local Member of Parliament for a time and later represented Ripon. John Lloyd primarily lived in West Yorkshire, so the Hall was occupied by his daughter, Mary Dorothea Darwin, along with her husband, Charles, and their family. After John Lloyd died in 1912, the family decided to sell the property.

It is widely believed that the Hall and its grounds were sold to the Vaux family, brewers from Sunderland, in 1914. However, a contemporary source indicates that while the Vaux family was interested in purchasing the land, the Whartons were unwilling to sell a specific section known as Bottom Field, where housing is now located along what is called Old Dryburn Way. Unable to reach an agreement, it was decided that the Vaux family would rent the land instead. Consequently, Colonel Cuthbert Vaux, along with his sons Bertie, Hugh, and Ernest, and his daughter Helen, took up residence at Dryburn.

In 1930, Durham County Council purchased the site from the Whartons to construct a central Poor Law institution, giving the Vaux family 12 months to vacate the premises. The Vaux family eventually moved to Startforth Hall near Barnard Castle in March 1932. A considerable amount of time was spent on planning and developing the project, but the construction was never carried out. Instead, Dryburn Hall was utilised for storing Civil Defence supplies, such as blankets, dressings, and surgical instruments. The estate was also operated as a market garden for the Council. In 1941, the government requisitioned the land to build a military hospital. The contractors, Carmichael, began construction in March 1942, and the hospital opened the following March, in 1943.

The wards and departments were constructed as single-storey brick buildings, separated by wide strips of land as a precaution against fire or bombing. The 15 wards were connected at each end by a covered walkway that was open at the sides. Each ward was equipped with two coke stoves located in the centre aisle between the beds for heating. Troop trains would arrive at Elvet Station, and soldiers would be transported to the hospital by ambulances.

In the 1950s, the hospital gradually transitioned from military command to local civilian control, and Dryburn Hospital began to take over the local general hospital functions from the older County Hospital nearby. During this period, Dryburn Hall served various purposes, including office space and accommodations for doctors and nurses, although most nurses resided in the H Blocks. Additionally, the Hall functioned as a very popular social club. As the hospital buildings from the 1940s began to deteriorate, they were ultimately replaced by a new facility, built on the top of the site and completed in 2001, while most of the old structures were demolished. However, Dryburn Hall, a Grade II listed building, was preserved. In the 2010s, an extension to the Emergency Department was deemed necessary, leading to a proposal to demolish the now dilapidated Hall in 2015. After lengthy legal battles, the Hall was ultimately demolished in 2024.

Thank you to Andy Kelly for contributing this piece and allowing me to publish it.