Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Tanfield

"Little is known for certain about the 'early' days of St Margaret's Church, but it is generally believed that St Cuthbert's monks chose Tanfield to hide the saints remains from the invading Danish hordes, around 900AD, long before his remains were buried at Durham. After leaving Tanfield, his monks then moved onto Chester-Le-Street, where they established a new monastery, and a chapel-at-ease in the village of Tanfield. Since then, there have been 3 different churches built on the current site, little is known about the first. The second church suffered terribly at the hands of the Curate of Tanfield, who in 1736 had a coal pit sunk in the church yard, and a drift mine dug under the church itself. He hoped to pocket the proceeds from his mine. An enquiry was held, and work on the mine stopped. But the mining activities must have caused such severe damaged to the church that a new church was constructed, and completed in 1749...." (Church Website)