Clairmont: From High School to …
Clairmont House has stood at the top of Princes Street for nearly 150 years. Its stonework holds stories of education, care, and quiet civic service. This page honours that lineage.
1. The Misses Hallam Years (1870s–1888)
- Founded as a girls’ boarding school by Eliza and Lucy Hallam, schoolmistresses from Nottingham.
- Staffed by governesses, pupil teachers, and domestic workers.
- Pupils included daughters of engineers, merchants, and civic leaders:
- Emily and Mary Willman, daughters of Middlesbrough’s mayor and Crimean War veteran.
- Clara and Ethel Snowball, from Gateshead’s Snowball & Son drapery empire.
- Ethel Snowball earned Cambridge distinctions in 1886 and later taught at Clairmont.
- Upon retirement, the Hallam sisters were gifted a silver cake basket by their pupils.
2. Maternity and NHS Era (Early–Mid 20th Century)
- Repurposed as a Princes Street maternity home, serving Bishop Auckland and surrounding areas.
- Locals recall being born there—Clairmont became part of the town’s emotional map.
3. Family Clinic and Decline (Late 20th Century–2000s)
- Later used by the NHS for clinics and administrative services.
4. Development Interest and Civic Drift (2010s–Present)
- Planning permission granted for 18 flats under permitted development.
- A proposal for a hotel.
- The building remains.
Closing Reflection
Clairmont House is more than stone and timber. It’s a civic fragment. A teachable silence. A building that once held new life, and might again.
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