Willington, County Durham

Willington
Willington
	Willington Location within County Durham
Population	5,749 (2011 census)
OS grid reference	NZ108507
Civil parish	Greater Willington;
Unitary authority	County Durham;
Ceremonial county	Durham;
Region	North East;
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	City of Durham;
	List of places UK England County Durham 54°43′N 1°41′W / 54.71°N 1.69°W

Willington is a village^[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.

Governance

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]

Leisure facilities`

There are large areas of parkland with play areas in the town.

A leisure centre existed in the village, Spectrum Leisure Centre (a registered charity),^[7] but this closed following bankruptcy proceedings in 2024.^[8] The centre had a large sports hall, gyms and a bar/refreshment area and hosted events, notably those of Empire Electric Palace Theatre (Crook).^[9]

Parkside Academy

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)

Football team

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

Notable figures

George Burdon McKean was born in the village 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.

References

^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 21 July 2015.
^ "Welcome to Greater Willington Town Council". www.gwtc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Willington Ward (as of 2011) (1237326562)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
^ "History of Willington, in Wear Valley and County Durham". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
^ "Relationships and changes Willington Tn/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
^ "Population statistics Willington Tn/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
^ "Spectrum Leisure Centre". Spectrum Leisure Centre.
^ "SLAM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TRUST LIMITED insolvency - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
^ "Welcome to Empire Electric Palace Theatre". www.empirecrook.co.uk.

[1] "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 21 July 2015.

[2] "Welcome to Greater Willington Town Council". www.gwtc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2023.

[3] UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Willington Ward (as of 2011) (1237326562)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 October 2018.

[4] "History of Willington, in Wear Valley and County Durham". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.

[5] "Relationships and changes Willington Tn/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.

[6] "Population statistics Willington Tn/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 7 August 2023.

[7] "Spectrum Leisure Centre". Spectrum Leisure Centre.

[8] "SLAM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TRUST LIMITED insolvency - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 September 2024.

[9] "Welcome to Empire Electric Palace Theatre". www.empirecrook.co.uk.

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v t e Ceremonial county of Durham
Unitary authorities	Borough of Darlington Borough of Hartlepool Borough of Stockton-on-Tees (part) County Durham
Major settlements (cities in italics)	Barnard Castle Billingham Bishop Auckland Chester-le-Street Chilton Consett Crook Darlington Durham Eaglescliffe Easington Colliery Ferryhill Hartlepool Middleton-in-Teesdale Newton Aycliffe Peterlee Seaham Sedgefield Shildon Spennymoor Stanhope Stanley Stockton-on-Tees Tow Law Wolsingham See also: Durham
Topics	Flag Parliamentary constituencies Places Population of major settlements SSSIs Schools Country houses Museums Grade I listed buildings Scheduled monuments Lord Lieutenant High Sheriff

v t e Civil parishes in County Durham
including Stockton-on-Tees (north of the river)
Darlington	Parishes Archdeacon Newton Barmpton Bishopton Brafferton Coatham Mundeville Denton East and West Newbiggin Great Burdon Great Stainton Heighington High Coniscliffe Houghton le Side Hurworth Killerby Little Stainton Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent Middleton St. George Morton Palms Neasham Piercebridge Sadberge Summerhouse Walworth Whessoe Unparished areas The former Darlington County Borough
County Durham	Towns Barnard Castle Bishop Auckland Chilton Ferryhill Great Aycliffe Greater Willington Peterlee Seaham Sedgefield Shildon Spennymoor Stanley Tow Law Parishes Barforth Barningham Bearpark Belmont Bishop Middleham Bolam Boldron Bournmoor Bowes Bradbury and the Isle Brancepeth Brandon and Byshottles Brignall Burnhope Cassop-cum-Quarrington Castle Eden City of Durham Cleatlam Cockfield Cornforth Cornsay Cotherstone Coxhoe Croxdale and Hett Dalton-le-Dale Dene Valley Easington Colliery Easington Village Edmondbyers Edmondsley Eggleston Egglestone Abbey Eldon Esh Etherley Evenwood and Barony Fishburn Forest and Frith Framwellgate Moor Gainford Gilmonby Great Lumley Greencroft Hamsterley Hamsterley Common Haswell Hawthorn Headlam Healeyfield Hedleyhope Hilton Holwick Hope Horden Hunderthwaite Hunstanworth Hutton Henry and Station Town Hutton Magna Ingleton Kelloe Kimblesworth and Plawsworth Lanchester Langleydale and Shotton Langton Lartington Little Lumley Lunedale Lynesack and Softley Marwood Mickleton Middleton in Teesdale Middridge Monk Hesleden Mordon Morton Tinmouth Muggleswick Murton Nesbitt Newbiggin North Lodge Ouston Ovington Pelton Pittington Raby with Keverstone Rokeby Romaldkirk Sacriston Satley Scargill Seaton with Slingley Shadforth Sheraton with Hulam Sherburn Village Shincliffe Shotton South Bedburn South Hetton Staindrop Stanhope Startforth Streatlam and Stainton Thornley Toft Hill Trimdon Trimdon Foundry Urpeth Waldridge Wackerfield Weather Hill Wood West Auckland West Rainton and Leamside Westwick Wheatley Hill Whorlton Windlestone Wingate Winston Witton Gilbert Witton-le-Wear Wolsingham Wolsingham Park Moor Woodland Wycliffe with Thorpe Unparished areas The former Chester le Street Urban District Consett Parts of the former Durham Municipal Borough Parts of the former Bishop Auckland Urban District Crook and Willington Urban District Stanley Urban District
Hartlepool	Towns Headland Parishes Brierton Claxton Dalton Piercy Elwick Greatham Hart Newton Bewley Wynyard Unparished areas Part of the former Hartlepool County Borough
Stockton-on-Tees	Towns Billingham Parishes Aislaby Carlton Egglescliffe Elton Grindon and Thorpe Thewles Longnewton Newsham Preston-on-Tees Redmarshall Stillington and Whitton Wolviston Wynyard Unparished areas Part of the former Teesside County Borough
For further information about the above parishes, see List of civil parishes in County Durham. For the part of Stockton-on-Tees (borough) south of the River Tees, see List of civil parishes in North Yorkshire.

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