Westerton, County Durham
| Westerton | |
Jan2007.jpg) Wright's Observatory/Folly |
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  Westerton |
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| OS grid reference | NZ239311 |
|---|---|
| Shire county | County Durham |
| Region | North East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DARLINGTON |
| Postcode district | DL14 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
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Coordinates: 54°40′30″N 1°37′44″W / 54.675°N 1.629°W
Westerton is a village in County Durham, in England. 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".