Heighington, County Durham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heighington is a village in the borough of Darlington and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated between Darlington and Shildon, near Newton Aycliffe. One of its most significant features is St Michael's Church - a Norman church, except for the 13th century south aisle. the 19th century north aisle and the 15th century tower.The rarest feature of this church is said to be the pre-Reformation oak pulpit with six traceried linen fold panels with an inscription bearing prayers for its donor: an Alexander Flettcher and his wife Agnes.

Heighington also boasts a Methodist Church, but this is being converted into affordable housing due to lack of interest. The more recent expansion of the village is in the area around Pinewood Crescent and the area around the Beech Crescent, Manor Court and Orchard Gardens, built 1997.

It is also known for its Spar shop and four pubs, The Cumby Arms, Bay Horse, George And Dragon and The Dog Inn, which lies just outside of the village.

The village - up until recent years - was home to a Post Office (which included a shop) next to the village green. That shop closed down and the Post Office, along with the postbox, has been relocated to the village hall.

Since the turn of the millennium, a field on the outskirts of the village (on the way to Shildon and Bishop Auckland) has been converted into a football field. This site is currently undergoing development, including the construction of an adventure playground.

In 2006 Heighington beat out 11 other villages around the UK to become the BBC's Perfect Village, presented by Ptolemy Dean, reflecting the beauty and community spirit of the place.