Volunteers in Trimdon have launched a £20,000 fundraising appeal for a new monument to mark 1,000 years since a Viking king visited the village.

2027 marks 1,000 years since King Canute is said to have visited the village en route to the shrine of St Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral.

Local legend has it that the village’s name comes from it being the place where Canute “trimmed” his hair and “donned” his cloak before walking barefoot to the shrine of St Cuthbert at Durham Cathedral.

To mark the special anniversary and bring the village together, a group of volunteers from St Mary Magdalene Church are organising a programme of events throughout 2027.

Volunteers from St Mary Magdalene Church, Trimdon are leading a fundraising appeal to mark 1,000 years since King Canute (inset) passed through the village.

placeholder image — Volunteers from St Mary Magdalene Church, Trimdon are leading a fundraising appeal to mark 1,000 years since King Canute (inset) passed through the village.

The centrepiece will be the installation of a new public piece of art on Trimdon Village Green.

Trimdon 2027 organiser Adam Luke said: “We want the new landmark to be something everyone in the Trimdons is proud of and that puts us on the map for the next 1,000 years, standing as a testament to our pride in the present and our hope for our future.”

The memorial will be a modern take on the northern crosses of the 8th to 12th centuries and will celebrate and depict important figures and events in Trimdon’s past.

The village’s original name, Tremeldona, means “the wooden cross on the hill”.

It will also act as a waymarker for modern day visitors and pilgrims walking the Way of Love path from Hartlepool to Durham.

Professor Michelle Brown, Trimdon 2027 organiser, added: “Trimdon has a long history, stretching back 4,000 years or more.

“It takes its name from an ancient wooden cross and 2027 gives us two big anniversaries in its journey of faith, celebrating landmarks in its role in helping to shape the spirit of the North.”

If enough money is raised, a new seating area and information board will also be installed and heritage and visitor information in the 12th century church enhanced.

Donations towards the appeal, with cheques payable to Trimdon DCC Upper Skerne Parish, can be sent to Church Treasurer G.A Defty, 10 Front Street North, Trimdon Village, County Durham, TS29 6PF or call (01429) 882041 for more information.