Willington, County Durham

Willington
Willington Willington shown within County Durham
Population	7,000 (Estimate 2010) 5,000(2001)
OS grid reference	NZ108507
Civil parish	Greater Willington
Unitary authority	County Durham
Ceremonial county	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
EU Parliament	North East England
UK Parliament	North West Durham
List of places UK England County Durham

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

Although a handful of job opportunities remain within the village limits, for many residents work is now located outside of the village, and Willington functions largely as a satellite town for Bishop Auckland and Durham City.

Businesses

Along with a Co-operative supermarket, many small independent shops thrive in the village such as an independent butchers, a fruiterers, a hardware shop and a pet shop, as well as several restaurants. There are currently six pubs operating in the village, along with a small microbrewery, The Gambling Man Brewing Company.

Football team

Willington has its own football club Willington 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.

Their most recent highlight was featuring in the Wearside Football League Cup final in 2011, where they were eventually beaten by Ryhope Colliery Welfare F.C. 4-2 on penalties.

Willington FC 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

Army Cadet Force

Willington has its own Army Cadet Force held at a local secondary school (Parkside Sports Academy) which currently has around sixteen official members not including adult instructors. Cadets take part in activities such as Fieldcraft, Drill, British Military lessons, Fitness and Shooting every Monday and Thursday between 7:00PM and 9:00PM. For more information about the ACF in general or specifically the Willington ACF detachment go to https://armycadets.com/ or find Willington ACF on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/willington.detachment/).

References

Ceremonial county of County Durham

North East England Portal

Unitary authorities	Borough of Darlington Borough of Hartlepool Borough of Stockton-on-Tees (part) County Durham

Major settlements	Barnard Castle Billingham Bishop Auckland Chester-le-Street Chilton Consett Crook Darlington Durham Eaglescliffe Easington Easington Colliery Ferryhill Hartlepool Middleton-in-Teesdale Newton Aycliffe Peterlee Seaham Sedgefield Shildon Spennymoor Stanhope Stanley Stockton-on-Tees Tow Law Willington Wolsingham See also: List of civil parishes in County Durham

Topics	Parliamentary constituencies Places SSSIs Schools Country houses Museums Grade I listed buildings Lord Lieutenant High Sheriff

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 Low Dinsdale Middleton St George Morton Palms Neasham Piercebridge Sadberge Sockburn Summerhouse Walworth Whessoe Unparished areas The former Darlington County Borough

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 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 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 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 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 Unparished areas Part of the former Hartlepool County Borough

Stockton on Tees	Towns Billingham Parishes Aislaby Carlton Egglescliffe Elton Grindon Longnewton Newsham Preston on Tees Redmarshall Stillington and Whitton Wolviston 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.