Willington

Willington sits on the banks of the River Wear in County Durham, close to Bishop Auckland and Crook. It grew up in the 19th century as a coal-mining community and later saw 20th-century industry such as electricity generation on the riverside, so the town still bears a strong industrial heritage in its terraces, memorials and former works sites.

Today Willington is largely a residential and local-service centre with many people commuting to Durham or Darlington, but it retains a tight-knit community spirit, grassroots clubs and historic character. The surrounding countryside gives easy access to walks into Weardale, and ongoing regeneration projects have been slowly reshaping former industrial land for housing and light industry.