For generations, the villages of Ryton, Crawcrook and Greenside shared the same Parish, the same Coal Company and the same Urban District Council. Traditionally picturesque and rural, the area boasted an historic centre and pretty riverside as well as a cluster of colliery communities. Central Ryton supported early commuting via the railway, but most revenues came from the coal trade, which dominated the local economy.Using a series of old images in the Ryton, Crawcrook and Greenside areas, local historian John Boothroyd has worked with members and friends of the Ryton and Greenside Local History Groups to take a new series of pictures in the same location. Use this book as a guide to see how these villages have changed over time and discover some interesting historical facts about the places pictured.