Elwick, County Durham

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Elwick
County Durham
Elwick Village Green - geograph.org.uk - 279035.jpg
Elwick Village Green
Location
Grid reference: NZ455324
Location: 54.685412, -1.295681
Data
Population: 1,001  (2011)
Post town: Hartlepool
Postcode: TS27
Local Government
Council: Hartlepool
Parliamentary
constituency:
Hartlepool

Elwick is a village in the south-east of County Durham, to the west of Hartlepool. It is now mercifully bypassed by the A19 skirting its western edge. Elwick has not historically been large, notwithstanding its position on the main route north – it was known as a township until 1866, when it gained the status of a parish.

Elwick has agricultural roots, and family farms remain today. For the most part though, villagers commute to work in Hartlepool.

The village has a parish church and two public houses – The Spotted Cow and the McOrville Inn. It also has a village shop and post office.

History

In 1870/72 Elwick was described as:

"Elwick, a township in Hart parish, Durham; 4 miles W by S of Hartlepool. It has a post office under Ferryhill. Acres, 1, 500. Real property, £1, 418. Pop., 240. Houses, 55. The township is a meet for the Durham hounds." [1]

Parish church

The parish church (and indeed the village's only church) is St Peter's. It is a grade two listed building and was built in the late 12th century, but has been restored many times.

St Peters has aisled nave, chancel with north vestry and a south-west tower over looking the porch.[2] The church has beautiful stained glass windows. The church commissioned a window depicting marriage, which was installed in February 2010 and designed by Alan Davis.[3]

The main road through Elwick

Geography

The wind turbines

Renewable energy

EON, the energy supplier, has put in place three wind turbines on the border of the parish.[4] This development in 2003 split the community, with some accepting the turbines and others opposing them.[5] The three wind turbines provide energy for 6,000 homes.[6]

Urbanisation

Elwick windmill is a disused, six-storey-high, brick-built windmill, which is now a listed building. Built in the mid-19th century and grade two listed in 8 January 1980, this windmill has been protected and preserved as a piece of Elwick's history.[7]

Apart from the historic buildings of the windmill and church, the majority of the development is residential housing. Elwick has green spaces and old farm buildings. It is not highly built up, or filled with industrial buildings.

Outside links

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Elwick, County Durham)

References