Esh Winning
The Stags Head, Esh Winning
Last Updated:
11 Jul 2025
Esh Winning
This is a
Pub
54.769629, -1.704557
Founded in
Current status is
Extant
Designer (if known):
Still in operation
The Stag's Head is the oldest watering hole in Esh Winning, dating from the time the village was first conceived as the supporting settlement to Esh Colliery directly north of here. It's possibly even the first building in the village and doubled as the station hotel, providing rooms and refreshment for those travelling or moving here for pit work.
The first reference to this pub comes in 1868, likely a very short time before opening. This is especially accentuated as it's noted to have been located at Waterhouses rather than Esh Winning. Unfortunately, the pub was used for the inquest of Mr Joseph Morrallee, the 3 year old son of an Esh pitman, who dropped a whistle in a washing tub. In attempting to grab it, he sadly fell in head first and died before anyone could give him help. The verdict was delivered here.
Alongside the institute which was opened on the other side of town, it remained a primary meeting place for everyone living here. It was the headquarters of the Whitwell Pease Lodge of the Oddfellows, hosted vegetable shows and its backyard served as the local football ground. In February 1888, a Bearpark team was assembled against Langley Park with the former winning 4 goals to 2. I guess you could call this a neutral ground, though an Esh Stags later played in the village. The field behind remained the home of Esh Winning FC into the 20th century, and was called the "Stags Head Recreation Ground" even featuring its own stand.
By the latter half of the 20th century, it came under the ownership of JW Cameron, whose brewery at Hartlepool was one of the biggest (and remains the largest independent brewer in the North East).
Listing Description (if available)
Esh Winning was born from coal, and the two maps here show it was still growing as a result through the first half of the 20th century. The first, from the 1890s, shows the core settlement built with Waterhouses Railway Station, the Stags Head and Durham Road lined with terraced dwellings, churches and schools. It was in the 60 years thereafter the gaps were filled with interwar suburban housing and further terraces to accommodate the workforce for the pits to the north and west.
You may also notice the Stags Head football ground, which featured its own stand in the 1890s. A relatively uncommon occurrence in the pit village.
It's worth taking a step back in time, as the first Ordnance Survey maps produced in the late 1850s provide a glimpse into Esh Winning before the Winning. Though Waterhouses Colliery was operating at this time, the only real fixture we recognise here is the North Eastern Railway branch which later accomodated the station. Before the colliery was no village - simply farmland and woods. In fact, The Stags Head will likely hark to when deer roamed these fields.
The Stags Head in June 2025
Esh Winning, with the Stags Head in the centre of the settlement. The postcard is likely from the 1920s or 30s, as the suburban housing is starting to be realised on the northern fringes of the village. Unknown original source. Part of the football ground can also be seen.
The side elevation of the Stags Head.