Willington, County Durham

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Willington
Willington, County Durham (County Durham)
Willington, County Durham

Willington shown within County Durham
Population 4,534 (2001) [1]
OS grid reference NZ108507
District Wear Valley
Shire county County Durham
Region North East
Constituent 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
European Parliament North East England
UK Parliament North West Durham
List of places: UKEnglandCounty Durham

Coordinates: 54°43′N 1°41′W / 54.71, -1.69

Willington is a former-pit town in County Durham, England. It is in the foothills of the Pennines and near the River Wear close to Crook and Bishop Auckland. Like many communities in the area, Willington's economy was largely based on coal mining. The closure of the colliery in 1967 therefore hit the town hard. Similarly to many former mining communities this is a blow that Willington has struggled to recover from.

[edit] Meaning of the place-name

Willington comes from Old English tun (farm or homestead) among Wifel's people, and was recorded as Wyvelintun in c. 1190.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names (4th ed.), p. 520.
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