In 2002, the Chapel of Rest was renovated by the Parish Council and converted into the present Heritage Centre building. A group of interested people from Wheatley Hill Regeneration Partnership, and this Parish Council, formed what is now known as the Heritage Society. The Heritage Centre exhibition, artefacts, and photographs have all been donated by local people, and friends & families now living away from the village



PETER LEE

Peter Lee has strong connections with the village of Wheatley Hill.  In 1902 the miners of Wheatley Hill employed Peter as their Checkweighman.   In 1903 he was elected on Wheatley Hill Parish Council and later became chairman.

Peter Lee instigated the building work of the road from Wheatley Hill to Thornley.  In 1907 he had Wheatley Hill Cemetery built and a new sewerage system installed in the village.  Before Peter Lee’s intervention there were only two water taps in Wheatley Hill, he had a water tap installed in every house and was responsible for street lighting in the village.

Peter Lee died on 16^th June 1935 at his home in Durham City .  At his personal request he was buried in Wheatley Hill Cemetery where his grave is a listed monument. “It was just like Peter to come back and lie among his own” was a comment made by a Wheatley Hill miner.

 

 

 

Grave of Peter Lee & his wife Alice

In June 2007 to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of the cemetery and to honour the great man a number of local groups got to  together to organise a very successful four day village Festival. 

An end of Festival event was held in May 2008.  Each child in the village aged 0 – 11 years was presented with a Celebration Mug depicting the Heritage Centre and Peter Lee