The village
Sherburn, usually called Sherburn Village to tell it apart from other Sherburns, is a civil parish in its own right, in the Pittington & Sherburn ward and the City of Durham constituency. The parish had a population of 3,140 at the 2011 census. Until the 19th century it was a farming village. Coal mining brought pits and railways, but by the 1930s the two pits within the parish had closed, and the railways went when the neighbouring collieries closed in the 1960s. The site of Sherburn Colliery, known as the Lady Durham Pit, lies just south of the centre, remembered in the street name Lady Durham Close.
The heart of the village is Front Street, with the Lambton Arms, the community centre, the war memorial and Sherburn Primary School close by. The Church of St Mary is Grade II listed. Sherburn Village Park sits on the edge of the centre, and streets such as Hallgarth Street, The Crescent and Cummings Avenue spread out from Front Street. Sherburn Beck runs to the south.
Who lives in Sherburn Village
The census area around Front Street (LSOA County Durham 027F) had 665 households in 2021:
- 45% lived in semis and 37% in detached houses, with 11% in terraces and 7% in flats.
- 74% owned their home, 15% rented from a social landlord and 11% rented privately.
- Only 15% of households had no car or van, and 40% had two or more.
Across the wider area (MSOA County Durham 027, about 4,250 households), 57% of homes were semis and 23% detached.
This is a village of owner-occupied family homes with more than one car, so the usual driveway question is space for two: widening a single drive, or replacing an older one with something that takes both cars and still leaves a path to the door.
Drives that suit Sherburn Village homes:
- Widening to a double on a semi, with the dropped kerb extended to match.
- A new drive on a detached house, sometimes with a turning area.
- Resin or block paving where people want a smart, low-maintenance finish.
- Gravel with a sett or block border on older homes near Front Street.
The ground
The British Geological Survey maps the centre of the village on glaciofluvial sand and gravel, laid down by meltwater at the end of the last ice age, over the Pennine Middle Coal Measures. That is good news for a drive. Sand and gravel drains freely, so permeable surfaces and soakaways work well, and drainage is usually a smaller part of the job than on the clay found in much of County Durham.
We still dig out topsoil and build a compacted crushed-stone sub-base, because loose sand will rut under a car without one, and we fix the edges in concrete.
The Environment Agency's flood map shows no flood zone within about 300 metres of Front Street, so the centre is in Flood Zone 1. Land further out along the becks is mapped differently, so check the flood map if you are near one.
Conservation areas and permissions
Conservation areas. Planning data shows two: Sherburn, around the older core of the village, and Sherburn House, close by. If your home is inside one, ask Durham County Council before removing a front wall, railings, a hedge or gate piers, and choose materials that sit well beside older stone and brick.
Planning. Outside them, a permeable drive on a house, or one draining onto the garden, is permitted development. Impermeable paving over five square metres draining to the road needs planning permission. On Sherburn's free-draining ground, a permeable drive is an easy way to stay within the rules.
The kerb. Durham County Council requires a licence for every new or extended vehicle crossing, including widening an existing one for a second car. The fee is £171, paid once a contractor has been arranged and before work starts, and there is no fee if it is refused. See our dropped kerbs page.
What shapes the price in Sherburn Village
Every quote is fixed and follows a visit. In Sherburn Village the main factors are:
- Size. Doubles and turning areas on detached homes cover more ground than a single space.
- The surface. Resin and block paving cost more to lay than gravel in a grid.
- Blending with an existing drive when widening, so the old and new parts look like one.
- Kerb works for a wider crossing, alongside the council licence.
Places near Sherburn Village
- Driveways in Shincliffe: South-west towards the city, a conservation village by the Wear.
- Driveways in Belmont: West towards the city, a suburb of semis and detached homes.
- Driveways in Bowburn: South, a former colliery village on the A177.
Surfaces that suit Sherburn Village: resin-bound, gravel, block paved driveways.
Full list of areas: Full list.
Questions people ask in Sherburn Village
Can I widen my drive for a second car?
Usually, without planning permission, if the new part is permeable or drains onto your garden. If the car would cross the pavement outside the existing crossing, you also need Durham County Council's licence to widen it.
Is the ground in Sherburn Village good for a permeable drive?
Yes. The village sits on glacial sand and gravel, which drains freely, so resin-bound, permeable block paving and gravel all work well.
Is Sherburn Village in a conservation area?
The older core is in the Sherburn conservation area, and Sherburn House has its own. Newer streets around them are mostly outside, but check with the council if you are unsure.
Is Sherburn Village at risk of flooding?
The centre is in Flood Zone 1, with no mapped flood zone within about 300 metres of Front Street.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, LSOA County Durham 027F and MSOA County Durham 027 (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Sherburn, County Durham; Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; OpenStreetMap; Durham County Council: vehicle access over kerbs; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens.