Willington | |
---|---|
Location within County Durham | |
Population | 5,749 (2011 census) [1] |
OS grid reference | NZ108507 |
Civil parish | |
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | CROOK |
Postcode district | DL15 |
Dialling code | 01388 |
Police | Durham |
Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
Ambulance | North East |
UK Parliament | |
Willington is a town [2] and former civil parish, now in the parish of Greater Willington, in County Durham and the ceremonial county of Durham, England. Willington stands in the foothills of the Pennines and near the River Wear close to Crook, Bishop Auckland and Durham.
Like many communities in the area Willington's economy was largely based on coal mining. The closure of the colliery in 1967 therefore affected the local economy.
Willington is in the electoral ward of Willington and Hunwick. The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 9,147. [3]
Willington was formerly a township and chapelry in the parish of Brancepeth, [4] from 1866 Willington was a civil parish in its own right, on 1 April 1937 the parish was abolished to form Crook and Willington, part also went to Bishop Auckland. [5] In 1931 that parish had a population of 6644. [6]
There are large areas of parkland with play areas in the town.
A leisure centre exists in the town, Spectrum Leisure Centre (a registered charity). [7] The centre has a large sports hall, gyms and a bar/refreshment area.
The Centre hosts events, notably those of Empire Electric Palace Theatre (Crook). [8]
Is a coeducational secondary school. Parkside Academy has announced that they have been awarded "World Class School" status and that they are the only secondary school in County Durham to have received this award. To be eligible for World Class School mark a school must have already been rated "outstanding" by Ofsted. (ref Parkside Academy, World Class Schools.org)
Willington has its own football club, Willington A.F.C., who currently play in the 11th tier of English football. Founded in 1906, the club won the Northern League in 1913–14, 1925–26 and 1929–1930, but have struggled more in recent years, having been relegated to the Wearside League where they continued to struggle.
Willington A.F.C. have reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup twice. In 1939, they lost 3-0 to Bishop Auckland at Roker Park, Sunderland. In 1950 Willington beat Bishop Auckland 4-0 at Wembley
George Burdon McKean was born in the town in 1888, moving to Canada in 1902. He returned to England in WW1 as a private soldier in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His first gallantry award was as an NCO, in 1917, when he won the Military Medal. A year later, as a commissioned officer, he was involved in a trench raid for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was also one of a small number of soldiers to be awarded both the Military Medal & the Military Cross - having served as a both a junior rank and an officer.
His Victoria Cross award was celebrated with the unveiling of a memorial stone in the main street of the village, near to the library.
Wear Valley was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England. Its council and district capital was Crook.
Tudhoe is a village in the civil parish of Spennymoor, in County Durham, England. It lies just outside Spennymoor, a short distance to the west of the Great North Road. Tudhoe lay at the centre of a network of roads: one ran to Durham by way of Sunderland Bridge and Croxdale, another to Kirk Merrington, a third to Bishop Auckland, a fourth to Whitworth and Byers Green, and a fifth across a ford to Brancepeth Castle and village on the far side of the river. All except the Brancepeth road are shown on the 1768 map of County Durham by Thomas Jefferys.
Crook is a market town in the Durham County Council unitary authority and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is located on the edge of Weardale and sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to Weardale".
Binchester is a small village in County Durham, England. In 2001 it had a population of 271. It is situated between Bishop Auckland, which is to the south, and a short distance to the west of Spennymoor. It has a community centre, swing park and football field, and is surrounded by countryside. Granville Terrace, the main road through the village, was relaid and renovated in 1991 for the BBC television series Challenge Anneka.
Byers Green is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Spennymoor, in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. It is situated to the north of Bishop Auckland, between Willington and Spennymoor, and a short distance from the River Wear. It has a population of 672.
Cockerton is an area in the north-west of Darlington in the borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The Cocker Beck flows through the area and empties into the River Skerne via The Denes, an area and string of valleyed parks donated for the town in the early 20th century. It is also near Mowden, Branksome, West Park and Faverdale.
Coundon is an old mining village and former civil parish in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. The Boldon Book mentions a mine in Coundon in the twelfth century. In 2001 it had a population of 2611. In 2011 the ward had a population of 7139.
Coundon Grange is a village in the civil parish of Dene Valley, in County Durham, England. It is situated to the east of Bishop Auckland. In the 2001 census Coundon Grange had a population of 235.
Newfield is a village and former civil parish in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. It is situated to the south of Willington, near Bishop Auckland. In the 2001 census Newfield had a population of 368.
Helmington Row is a small village in County Durham, England. It is situated between Crook and Willington, about 7 miles south-west of Durham and 3 miles north-north-west of Bishop Auckland.
Escomb is a village and former civil parish on the River Wear about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) west of Bishop Auckland, in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. In 2001 it had a population of 358. In 2011 the ward had a population of 3323.
Neville's Cross is a place in the civil parish of the City of Durham, in County Durham, England. It is also a ward of Durham with a population taken at the 2011 census of 9,940. It is situated on the A167 trunk road to the west of the centre of Durham.
North West Durham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
Fulwell is an affluent area and former civil parish in the Sunderland district, in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. The parish was abolished in 1928 as a result of the Sunderland Corporation Act 1927, and the area incorporated into the former County Borough of Sunderland. It borders Seaburn, Southwick, Monkwearmouth, and Roker, and the district border between Sunderland and South Tyneside. Fulwell ward, including South Bents and Seaburn, is the least socially deprived of the city's 25 wards. Until 1974 it was in County Durham.
Hemlington is an area of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. It is centred around a lake and is in the Borough of Middlesbrough's south-western outskirts.
Westerton is a village and former civil parish in the County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. In the 2001 census Westerton had a population of 44. It is situated between Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor. It sits on top of a hill which is one of the highest points in County Durham, and is the location of an observatory built for Thomas Wright, who was the first person to suggest that the Milky Way consisted of a flattened disk of stars. The observatory is known today as "Wright's Folly".
Harton is a suburban area of South Shields, South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It was historically a village, however as the urban area grew it merged with its adjacent villages to become part of the town. Some of the original village buildings are still intact today, such as St Peter's Church. Until 1974 it was in County Durham.