Willington, County Durham
| Willington | |
|---|---|
 Willington
|
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| Willington shown within County Durham | |
| Population | 7,190 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NZ108507 |
| Civil parish | |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| 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 | |
Willington is a former-pit town in County Durham, England, 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 affected the local economy badly and, in common with many former mining communities, Willington has struggled to recover.
Although a handful of job opportunities remain within the village limits, work for many residents is now located outside the village, and Willington functions largely as a satellite town for Bishop Auckland and Durham.
An electoral ward in the same name exists. The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 9,147.
Along with a Co-operative supermarket, many small independent shops thrive in the village such as an independent butchers, a fruiterer, 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.
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 4-2 on penalties.
Willington F.C. 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
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