Heighington, County Durham

Human settlement in England

Heighington

Heighington

Location within County Durham

Population| 2,395 (2011)
OS grid reference| NZ248223
Civil parish|

* Heighington [1]

Unitary authority|

* Darlington

Ceremonial county|

* County Durham

Region|

* North East

Country| England
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Post town| NEWTON AYCLIFFE
Postcode district| DL5
Dialling code| 01325
Police| Durham
Fire| County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance| North East
UK Parliament|

* Darlington

List of places

England
County Durham

54°35′43″N 1°37′01″W﻿ / ﻿54.59537°N 1.61685°W﻿ / 54.59537; -1.61685

Heighington (/ˈhaɪ.ɪŋ.tən/ HYE-ing-tən) is a village in the borough of Darlington and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 2,395.[2] It is situated between Darlington and Shildon, near Newton Aycliffe. One of its most significant features is St Michael's Church, which sits in the middle of a large village green. The church is Norman, except for the 13th-century south aisle and the 19th-century north aisle. A rare feature in this church is a pre-Reformation oak pulpit with six traceried linen fold panels, with an inscription bearing prayers for its donor: an Alexander Flettcher and his wife Agnes.

Heighington previously boasted a Methodist Chapel, but this has since been converted into housing. The more recent expansion of the village is in the area around Pinewood Crescent and the area around the Beech Crescent, Manor Court and Orchard Gardens, built in 1997.

A recent, famous resident from Heighington is actor, writer and producer Mark Gatiss. It is often (wrongly) claimed that his father worked at nearby Winterton Hospital, and that this became the inspiration for ideas in The League of Gentlemen, but it was in fact Aycliffe Hospital where his father worked. The confusion likely arose from the fact that both (now demolished) hospitals lay in the district of Sedgefield and someone assumed it was Winterton. This mistake then led onto the assumption that Gatiss must therefore have been born in the village of Sedgefield (being next to Winterton Hospital), but in actuality, he was born only in the district of Sedgefield, in the village of Heighington, some miles away.

Heighington has a Spar shop and three pubs, The Bay Horse, The George and Dragon, and The Dog Inn, which lies just outside the village.

The village had a Post Office, which included a shop, next to the village green. The shop closed down and the Post Office, along with the postbox, was relocated to the village hall.

Since the turn of the millennium, a field on the outskirts of the village (on the way to Shildon and Bishop Auckland) has been converted into a football field. The site was being developed, including the construction of an adventure playground.

In 2006 Heighington was judged, by Ptolemy Dean, from amongst 11 other villages around the UK to be the BBC's Perfect Village.

Heighington CE Primary School is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school located in Hopelands. It educates around 260 pupils aged 4–11. It has been assessed by Ofsted as providing an outstanding education.[3]

Heighington was an important stop on the Stockton and Darlington railway built by George Stephenson in the early 19th century, operated by locomotive Locomotion No. 1. The station, which opened in 1827, is the world's oldest, and was in use until the 1970s. The building, Grade II*-listed, was in bad condition, but was restored in 1984 as an inn. The inn closed in 2017; in 2024 there were plans to renovate the derelict historical station in time for the 200th anniversary of the opening of the railway line.[4] There is also a working Heighington station on Station Road, DL5 6PX.[5]

## Demographics

[edit]

Main article: Demographics of Tees Valley

## Gallery

[edit]

* St. Michael's church tower, Heighington

* Heighington village green

* Heighington village sign - outside the village hall since 2000

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Home Page". Heighington Parish Council.
2. ^ "civil parish population 2011". neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
3. ^ "Heighington Church of England Primary School"[permanent dead link‍], Ofsted, 22 May 2007
4. ^ Ofori, Morgan (28 February 2024). "Appeal to save 'world's oldest' railway station in County Durham". The Guardian.
5. ^ "Heighington Station". National Rail. Retrieved 29 February 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Heighington, County Durham at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
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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
Middleton St. George
Morton Palms
Neasham
Piercebridge
Sadberge
Summerhouse
Walworth
Whessoe

Unparished areas
The former Darlington County Borough

County 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
City of Durham
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 and Station Town
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 and Leamside
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
Parts of the former 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
Wynyard

Unparished areas
Part of the former Hartlepool County Borough

Stockton-on-Tees|

Towns
Billingham

Parishes
Aislaby
Carlton
Egglescliffe
Elton
Grindon and Thorpe Thewles
Longnewton
Newsham
Preston-on-Tees
Redmarshall
Stillington and Whitton
Wolviston
Wynyard

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.

Authority control databases

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