Some of the houses to the west of the village green date back to the 1600s and the village’s first school was built on the edge of the green in 1635. There is stonework in the Joiners Arms, the last remaining of seven pubs, which is reminiscent of 16^th century work, suggesting flagstone was used from one of the three quarries near the green. The quarried stone was used to build the early houses prior to the development of three brickworks associated with the collieries. St Paul’s Church is also built of local stone, and the quality of the flagstone was acknowledged in the construction of the Bishop’s Chapel at Auckland Castle.

Old photos show a maypole on the green.