Easington, County Durham
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| Easington | |
  Easington shown within County Durham |
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| Population | 2,302 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Easington |
| Shire county | County Durham |
| Region | North East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PETERLEE |
| Postcode district | SR8 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| European Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament | Easington |
| List of places: UK • England • County Durham | |
Easington is a town in Easington district in east County Durham, England. It comprises the ancient village of Easington (Easington Village) and the ex-mining town of Easington Colliery. It is located at the junction of the A182 leading north-west to Hetton-le-Hole. Seaham Harbour and Houghton-le-Spring, and the A19, which travels north to Sunderland and south to Middlesbrough. As a former coal mining town, Easington is now an unemployment blackspot after the mine closed in 1993.
One of the most prominent events in the long history of the village was the hanging of two men on the village green for alleged involvement in the plot to replace Tudor monarch Queen Elizabeth with Mary Queen of Scots. Pope Adrian IV (c. 1100–1 September 1159), born Nicholas Breakspear lived here for a time.
The village is also known for being the setting of the folktale, "The Legend of the Easington hare".[1]
The village is home to one of the few remaining 13th century domestic buildings in the country, Seaton Holme. Once an open hall medieval home, it became an archdeacons residence and was a children's home at a time before falling into disrepair. In 1992 it was finally restored to a semblance of its former stature.
Easington is the only place on earth with dolomitic limestone cliffs on the coastline.
It is notable for being the town with the highest percentage of white residents in England (99.2% white in 2001).[2]
[edit] Famous residents
- Matt Baker - Former Blue Peter presenter
- Dennis Donnini - The youngest British VC
- Steven Harper - Newcastle United goalkeeper
- Tom Simpson - Champion cyclist
- Gordon Bell - Famous storyteller
- Nicholas Breakspear - Pope Adrian IV
- Kevin Scott - Newcastle United footballer
The film Billy Elliot, set in the fictional County Durham town of 'Everington', was mainly shot in Easington, though the film-makers had to go a long way north to Ellington to find the only working mine in the North East.
[edit] References
- ^ Grice, Frederick [1944]. Folk Tales of the North Country. Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd.. ASIN B000PCXLEA. Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
- ^ 'The whitest place in England' BBC News Magazine. Accessed 06 March 2008
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