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Newton Aycliffe

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Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, it is the oldest new town in the north of England. It has a population of 25,000 people. It is the largest town within the Sedgefield constituency.

Newton Aycliffe
Population29,000 
OS grid referenceNZ272246
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNEWTON AYCLIFFE
Postcode districtDL5
Dialling code01325
PoliceDurham
FireCounty Durham and Darlington
AmbulanceNorth East
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
County Durham

Prior to the Newtown development, Aycliffe (originally 'Acley') was the site of a Saxon settlement. The name Acley came from the Saxon words: 'Ac', meaning oak, and 'ley', meaning 'a clearing'. Aycliffe was the ___location of a church synods in AD 782 and AD 789.

In more recent times Aycliffe was a key element in World War II ammunitions manufacturing. The marshy land was ideal cover against the Luftwaffe as it was almost continually shrouded in fog and mist. Huge grass covered munitions factories were built and serviced by the nearby railway lines. The factories were largely staffed by women (in their thousands); these ladies were dubbed the "Aycliffe Angels", who braved incredible dangers inside the factories.

The factories were eventually replaced by manufacturing buildings that became the industrial district of Aycliffe. Businesses currently located in the town include Flymo and 3M.

The town's motto is Latin for "Not the Least, but the Greatest we seek".

Education

Schools in the area are

  • Aycliffe Village Primary School - Website
  • Byerley Park Primary School
  • Elmfield Primary School
  • Greenfield School Community and Arts College - Website
  • Heighington Church Of England Primary School
  • Horndale Infant School
  • St Francis Church Of England Junior School
  • St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
  • St Mary's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School - Website
  • Stephenson Way Primary School
  • Sugar Hill Primary School
  • Vane Road Primary School - Website
  • Woodham Burn Infant School
  • Woodham Burn Junior School - Website
  • Woodham Community Technology College - Website
  • (Avenue Comprehensive School closed 1992)
 
Arms

Transport

By road, the A167 is the main road to the town, it runs to Durham and Newcastle (30 Miles) in the north and Darlington (8 Miles) and Northallerton in the south, it serves as a diversion for the A1(M) when it has been closed because of an accident as it is the old A1. The A1(M) is near to the town and runs to Edinburgh in the north and London to the south, it provides as an alternative route to Durham and Newcastle in the north. The A689 is also near the town and it runs to Bishop Auckland in the west and Hartlepool and Teesside in the east.

By rail, the Newton Aycliffe railway station which is on the Tees Valley Line with train services provided by Northern Rail to Bishop Auckland and Darlington.

By bus, the town has bus services provided by Arriva to Bishop Auckland, Durham, Darlington, Ferryhill, Peterlee, Sedgefield, and Sunderland. There is the X61 express to Whitby and Scarborough which runs only during early spring to late summer which is also provided by Arriva.

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