Inside Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre: the former chapel preserving mining history, wartime courage and Olympic glory

A former chapel of rest in Wheatley Hill Cemetery is now preserving the stories of an East Durham mining community, including a pioneering miners’ leader, a Victoria Cross recipient and an Olympic diver.

Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre began life as the village’s Chapel of Rest, opening in 1907. After serving local residents for decades, the building was renovated by Wheatley Hill Parish Council and people from the village before being converted into a heritage centre in 2002.

The small centre, set within the cemetery grounds, now holds more than a century of local history. Its displays explore the role coal mining played in shaping Wheatley Hill, as well as the community’s connections to public service, military bravery and international sport.

Wheatley Hill’s mining story

Coal mining is at the heart of the collection. Wheatley Hill Colliery was established in the 19th century and remained part of village life until it closed in 1968.

Photographs, mining artefacts and everyday objects donated by local people help visitors understand both underground working conditions and the experiences of mining families at home. One permanent display recreates an East Durham colliery home as it might have looked around 1919.

The story continues outside the building with The Last Shift, a sculpture by North East artist Ray Lonsdale. Unveiled in 2018 after being funded through public subscription, it commemorates Wheatley Hill Colliery and the generations whose livelihoods depended on it.

Peter Lee and Thomas Kenny VC

The heritage centre also tells the story of Peter Lee, a miners’ leader and local politician who worked at Wheatley Hill Colliery. He became closely involved in village life and campaigned for improvements including sanitation, clean water, roads and the cemetery.

Lee later became a Durham County Councillor and was elected chairman of Durham County Council in 1919. The new town of Peterlee was eventually named in his honour. He died in 1935 and, at his request, was buried in Wheatley Hill Cemetery.

His grey granite headstone is now Grade II listed. Historic England describes it as having historical and sociological significance because it marks the grave of the renowned miners’ leader and local politician. A permanent exhibition at the centre examines Lee’s life and his links to Wheatley Hill.

Another exhibition remembers Thomas Kenny VC, who lived and worked in Wheatley Hill and is buried in the cemetery. Kenny served with the Durham Light Infantry during the First World War and received the Victoria Cross for extraordinary bravery in France in November 1915.

After an officer was badly wounded during a patrol in thick mist, Kenny spent more than an hour attempting to carry him towards the British lines while under enemy fire. He eventually found help and guided a rescue party back to the wounded officer. His military service is commemorated in a permanent display.

From a pit pond to Olympic competition

The centre’s collection also follows the sporting career of diver Charmian Welsh, whose father was manager of nearby Thornley Colliery.

Welsh developed her diving skills at Dawdon Pit Pond near Seaham, an outdoor pool filled with warm water and used by Dawdon Colliery. At 15, she competed for Great Britain at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, where she finished fifth. She returned to Olympic competition in Melbourne in 1956.

Her biggest international success came at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, where she won both women’s diving titles for England. Clothing, medals and other items from her competitive career are now part of a permanent exhibition at Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre.

Together, the displays chart Wheatley Hill’s history from the hardship and solidarity of the coalfield to public service, wartime courage and sporting achievement.

The heritage centre is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am to 3pm during 2026. Admission is free. It is located within Wheatley Hill Cemetery and offers disabled access, a hearing loop and refreshments. Group visits can be arranged outside normal opening hours by prior arrangement.