Hi All,
Beamish Exchange FTTP was announced last July as part of the "final third" rollout for harder to reach rural towns and villages. The Exchange serves the local communities of Beamish, High Handenhold, No Place, High Urpeth, West Pelton, Grange Villa, Newfield, Pelton Lane Ends, Pelton and several properties on long lines in the surrounding countryside.
With a tiny amount of Openreach fttp deployed as part of Digital Durham's BDUK project and one new Housing Estate in Newfield that was as much fibre as there was in the area until now.
As one of those long line residents on an 18 Down / 0.8 Up fttc connection I was keen to keep up with developments in anticipation of being able to order fttp and having previously done the work to start a CFP to be told we would be covered in the commercial deployment I have been keeping track as and when I've seen activity on my travels.
The following info is taken from my notes, interestingly all the work so far has been done by Openreach teams with one exception where an MJ Quinn gang were working in Pelton and the Openreach checker still says we are starting our fibre build in your area.
There have been several sets of roadworks following the path of the A693 up to Stanley, clearing duct blockages and running spine cabling. Presumably Stanley Exchange is the Head-End for Fibre terminations.
Apologies if the formatting or info isn't relative, just trying to help out anyone looking for information from the local area.
30th October 2020
Rodding and roping Station Road, Beamish
3rd November
Van(s) checking UG boxes and cable routes?
4th November
Station Road close to / past the War Memorial
10th Dec
No Place - blockage clearing
14th Dec
3 Vans New Road Beamish
17th / 18th Dec
Pulling cables on main road around station lane
4th January 2021
Pulling cables in Pelton?
5th January
Pulling cables beamish (from Stony Lane down to Fire Station), Newfield and west Pelton
6th January
Fire station to allotments
7th January
High Handenhold
Spoke to crew they are from Yorkshire and are pulling in spine cabling then it gets handed off to another team
13th January
2 vans, 1 parked on corner, 1 short visit to paper mill cottages/minstrel farm - cable crosses the river here and a boggy field so that might prove tricky.
14th January
Confirmed by landowner they were surveying the chambers and poles for installing fibre from beamish
January / February
Clearing duct blockages and building new chambers around Grange Villa, West Pelton and No Place
Fibre splicing in Pelton opposite car wash
New Chamber in Newfield outside pub ?
March
Pole replacements in Pelton, and new poles in Edenfield, West Pelton. Roadworks to clear duct blockages and lay poly duct around Station Road and Woodside in Beamish and in Front Street, Newfield
New Pavement chambers below poles where the spine comes into Grange Villa from West Pelton, blue rope at bottom of poles.
11th March
Fibre splicing opp. Newfield Inn
CBT’s fitted to poles Front Street, Newfield and on the corner of Pelton Lane outside Newfield Inn
2 vans rodding outside social club Pelton
22nd March
Vans in No Place
Pole work in Beamish on Station Road, CBT’s fitted above Station Road
Unblocking Works scheduled West Pelton on Twizell Lane
23rd March
3 x Vans in High Handenhold on front street and No Place
24th March
Pole work Beamish above Station Road, 3 or 4 poles with CBT’s wires coiled and fibre between poles through trees no problem
25th March
3 x Vans in HIgh Handenhold
29th - 31st March
Duct Blockages Grange Villa
31st March
Openreach works in pavement chambers and poles, below Station Road Beamish
1st April
2 vans in No Place splicing outside UG fed estate. All visible poles with DP’s have CBT’s
7th - 9th April
High Handenhold, rolling works in paths, verges and boxes for essential work on overblown fibre cables
Project ref: WC3PNR9M
8th April
3 vans High Handenhold standing at 1 van doing nothing
12th April
Multiple Vans working Station Road Beamish, Vans behind Stone Row at Grange Villa
13th April
4 vans No Place, 1 van High Handenhold
14th April
2 Vans splicing in pavement chamber on street outside The Parade, Pelton
2 Vans in No Place (p.m.)
15th April
2 Vans outside Fire Station, High Handenhold a.m. Hoist by Sheperd & Sherpherdess pub, Beamish
2 Vans No Place, 3 Vans High Handenhold p.m.
15th - 22nd April (date changes frequently)
New Pavement Chamber opp. Victoria Terrace - Pelton
15th April - 19th April
Planned works for council estates in Pelton primarily pole fed. Work listed as duct clearances and new duct installation.
Duct clearance works West Pelton
19th April
Openreach Vans in Pelton
5 Openreach vans in Beamish. Engineer mounting CBT on pole outside Urpeth Villas
20th April
MJ Quinns engineers rodding outside co-op in Pelton, Openreach engineer in adjacent PCP
Openreach Van at Pelton Lane Ends
6 Openreach Vans in Beamish, splicing in pavement chambers, CBT’s mounted on poles with coils of fibre in New Road, Beamish so all Poles from Station Cottages to Stony Lane now have CBT’s.
Old Telegraph poles along from A La Spicery have CBT’s fitted above the old rings right at the pole tops.
Poles opposite Birchwood close still don’t have fibre, will probably require roadworks as poles embedded in bank/stone wall
21st April
4 vans in No Place
7 vans in Beamish
22nd April
6 Vans in Beamish
22nd - 26th April
Clear Duct Blockages Rear of South View Pelton
Clear Duct Blockages Side of The Avenue Pelton
26th April
3 Vans - High Handenhold
27th - 29th April
Clear Duct Blockages Rear of Sydney Street Beamish
Clear Duct Blockages Rear of Arthur Street Beamish
28th April
2 Vans splicing in pavement chamber opposite Stony Lane
29th April
3 Vans splicing at Agg Node outside Fire Station, High Handenhold
28th - 30th April
Clear Duct Blockages Rear of Albert Street, Grange Villa
29th April - 4th May
Replace Joint Box Frame and Covers, Station Road Beamish
4th - 6th May
Clear Duct Blockages Baytree Terrace
Clear Duct Blockages Laurel Crescent
5th May
Civils in Laurel Crescent, High Handenhold
2 vans in Pelton across road from Co-op. CBT’s on poles in back streets behind The Avenue, Pelton
6th May
Yesterday’s work patched on Laurel Crescent, new joint box installed on entrance to street. Markings on path on Baytree Terrace and blue rope at base of pole
Vans in Beamish, pole climbing New Road, Beamish
7th May
1 x Van Splicing Track Joint on pole, New Road, Beamish opposite Stony Lane
1 x Van Splicing in Chamber, Station Road, Beamish
3 x Van’s Mounting CBT’s, Summerfield, West Pelton
7th - 11th May
Ivyway, Pelton. Access required to install a new joint box and approx 1m duct to exsting pole, this is part of the project to provide fibre to Beamish Village
Ernest Street (Back 1-47), Pelton. Access required to lay approx 2m duct in order to provide customer with high speed broadband services, This is part of the project to provide fibre to Beamish village
10th - 12th May
New Road Beamish, outside Durham Motor Services Garage. Access required clear a blockage in existing telecoms duct , build a box and provide ducting in order to provide high speed broadband services. This is part of the project to supply fibre to Beamish village
Victoria Terrace High Handenhold. Access required to clear a blockage in existing telecoms duct, in order to provide high speed broadband services, this is part of the project to provide fibre to Beamish village
12th May
Openreach vans and workers in Pelton either side of the road by the Co-op working UG. Vans in The Wind and Sandyford / Ivy Way.
11th - 13th May
Victoria Terrace (Side), High Handenhold. Access required to clear a blockage in existing telecoms duct and lay approx 1m of duct in order to provide high speed broadband services. This is part of the project to provide fibre to Beamish village
Eppleton Terrace High Handenhold. Access required to clear a blockage in existing duct and lay apprx 1 m duct in order to provide high speed broadband services. This is part of the project to provide fibre to Beamish Village
Cartmel Terrace, High Handenhold. Access required to clear a blockage in existing telecoms duct and provide approx 1m duct in order to provide high speed broadband services, this is part of the project to provide fibre to Beamish village.
13th - 17th May
Chester Road, Stanley. Excavation required to clear a blockage in existing duct , this is part of the project to deliver fibre to Beamish Village
14th - 18th May
Opp 1 - 18 The Fairways, Greens Bank, West Pelton. [Utility asset works] Replace 1 jointbox frame and cover(s) (1690mm x 710mm) in Footway.
19th - 26th May
Build 1 precast chamber 1310mm x 610mm x 1265mm deep in Footway, Install 10m of 1 way poly duct in Footway opp. Victoria Terrace - Pelton. Works in progress 21/05/21
20th - 24th May
Station Lane, Pelton - [New service connection] Build 1 concrete chamber 725mm x 255mm x 665mm deep in Footway, Install 1m of 1 way poly duct in Footway, Install 7m of 1 way poly duct in Carriageway
24th - 26th May
Queen Street (Back), Grange Villa - Access required to clear a blockage in existing duct in order to provide customers with high speed broadband services. This is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish village
Pine Street (Back), Grange Villa - Access required 2 blockages in existing duct in order to provide customers with high speed broadband services. This is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish Village
Orchard Street (Back), Pelton - Access required to lay 1M duct in order to provide customers with high speed broadband services. This is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish Village
o/s The Limes South View, Pelton DH2 1ET - Access required to clear a blockage in existing duct in order provide high speed broadband to customers, this is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish Village
25th - 27th May
Brackenbeds Close, Pelton - Blockage 1 o/s 16 Brackenbeds Close Beamish DH2 1XH, Blockage 2 o/s 40 Brackenbeds Close Beamish DH2 1CH. Access required to clear a blockage in existing duct in order to provide high speed broadband services to customers, This is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish Village.
O/S 150 Brackenbeds Close, Pelton DH2 1XL - Access required to clear a blockage in existing duct in order to provide customers with high speed broadband services, This is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish Village
O/S Ferndene, Grange Villa DH2 3LZ - Access to clear a blockage in existing duct in order to provide high speed broadband to customers. This is part of the fibre provision for Beamish Village.
R.O 24 & 44 Albert Street on back West St, Grange Villa DH2 3LR - Access required to clear 2 blockages in existing duct in order to provide customers with high speed broadband services. This is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish Village
28th May - 2nd June
O/S GRANGE VILLA CARS, FRONT STREET,GRANGE VILLA, DH2 3LL - Access required to clear a blockage in existing duct in order to provide broadband service to customers, This is part of the project to provided fibre to Beamish village
Opp 29 Elwin Place, Pelton DH2 - Access required to clear a blockage in existing duct in order to provide high speed broadband service to customers. This is part of the fibre provision project for Beamish Village
7th - 15th June
R/O 1 Greta Street North on Hollyoake Street, Pelton Lane Ends - Build 1 concrete chamber 1220mm x 680mm x 1665mm deep in Carriageway
19th - 27th July - May be duplication of above now works approved
Road Closure to build Concrete Chamber rear of Greta Street North, Pelton Lane Ends
19th - 28th April (roadworks disappeared from checker 19th p.m)
DSLAM (Cabinet P3) replacement Entrance to Sandyford, Pelton
[Moderator edited to change one occurrence of "no place" to "No Place".]