Welcome to Bowburn Banner Group

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For more detailed information about Bowburn’s Banners, with pictures, please go to:

Bowburn’s Banners

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Bowburn Banner Group – Local Giving

The village of Bowburn, County Durham, a former mining community, lies 4 miles to the south of Durham City in the North East of England. 

The Bowburn Banner Group was formed in January 2005 to return ex-Bowburn colliery banners to the village.  Two of these have been retrieved – one dating from 1920, uniquely portraying Nurse Edith Cavell and John Wilson, and the other from 1959, which shows Durham Racecourse on “Big Meeting” Day and Connishead Priory, the miners’ convalescent home.

Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), both original banners were worked on by top class conservators and are now displayed in Bowburn’s Community Centre (formerly the Miners’ Institute) so they can be enjoyed and appreciated by residents and visitors alike. They are a very fine tribute to Bowburn’s mining heritage.
 

Thanks also to the HLF, the Banner group  also commissioned a new banner to celebrate the surrounding area’s mining heritage.

2006 was the village’s Centenary Year, after the local pit began to be sunk in 1906. On 8th July 2006, the new banner was marched triumphantly through the village and into Durham City for the annual Durham Miners’ Gala.  It was dedicated during the Miners’ Service in Durham Cathedral that afternoon. Now named the “Centenary Banner”, this too is now permanently displayed in Bowburn Community Centre – as well as paraded annually at Durham Big Meeting and displayed proudly at local community events.

Also in 2006, a new Children’s Banner was produced, following workshops at Bowburn Junior School to decide on its design.

Since 2009, we have also held, on long-term loan, the 1985 Tursdale NUM Mechanics banner.

The Centenary Banner, the Bowburn Children’s Banner and the Tursdale Mechanics Banner are now marched through Bowburn and into Durham City on “Big Meeting Day”, every July, as well as being displayed at various events around the Durham coalfield.