Visit Newton Aycliffe Places

Welcome to Visit Newton Aycliffe Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Newton Aycliffe

  

Newton Aycliffe Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Newton Aycliffe

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Newton Aycliffe history

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Anglo-Saxons

Aycliffe (originally ‘Acley’) was the site of an Anglo-Saxon settlement. The name Acley came from the Old English words: ‘Ac’, meaning oak, and ‘ley’, meaning ‘a clearing’ Aycliffe was the location of a church synods in AD 782 and AD 789.

Transport

On the edge of the town is the Bishop Auckland to Darlington railway branch line which is part of the 1825 Stockton and Darlington Railway. George Stephenson’s steam locomotive Locomotion No 1 was placed on the rails close to Newton Aycliffe near to where Heighington station is.

World War II

The marshy land was ideal cover against the Luftwaffe as it was almost continually shrouded in fog and mist. Huge grass-covered factories were built and serviced by the nearby railway lines. The factories were largely staffed by women (in their thousands)

Beveridge Report

William Beveridge produced a report on what he wanted Britain to be like after the war. He proposed a state system of Social Security benefits, a National Health Service, council housing, free education and full employment. The Welfare State was brought in all over Britain in 1948, but Beveridge chose one place especially which he wanted to be the shining example of how his new world would work.

Industry

After the war, many companies moved onto the industrial estate, including Great Lakes Chemicals, Eaton Axles, and B.I.P., who were to become two of the largest employers of the town until the early 1980s. The factories were eventually replaced by manufacturing buildings that became the industrial district of Aycliffe.

Newton Aycliffe geography / climate

At the 2001 census, Great Aycliffe had a population of 26,385, although in 2007 this had risen to 29,000. It is the largest town within the Sedgefield constituency. Within a radius of 10 miles are several towns and villages including Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Shildon and Heighington.

Governance

Until 2009, Great Aycliffe was in the borough of Sedgefield, based in Spennymoor. Newton Aycliffe has since April 2009 been governed by a council and the County Durham Unitary Authority.

You can visit Newton Aycliffe places with Walkfo Newton Aycliffe to hear history at Newton Aycliffe’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Newton Aycliffe has 21 places to visit in our interactive Newton Aycliffe map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Newton Aycliffe, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Newton Aycliffe places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Newton Aycliffe & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 21 audio facts unique to Newton Aycliffe places in an interactive Newton Aycliffe map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Newton Aycliffe Places Map
21 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Newton Aycliffe historic spots	Newton Aycliffe tourist destinations	Newton Aycliffe plaques	Newton Aycliffe geographic features
Walkfo Newton Aycliffe tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Newton Aycliffe

  

Best Newton Aycliffe places to visit

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Newton Aycliffe has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Newton Aycliffe’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Newton Aycliffe’s information audio spots:

St Michael’s Church, Heighington St Michael’s Church is a Church of England parish church in Heighington, Darlington, County Durham. The church is a grade I listed building.

Redworth Hall Redworth Hall is a 17th-century country house at Redworth, Heighington, County Durham, England now converted to a hotel. It is a listed building.

Aycliffe Stadium Aycliffe Stadium was a sports facility located in County Durham, England. The stadium was originally used for greyhound racing and then speedway before stock car racing.

ROF Aycliffe ROF Aycliffe was a Royal Ordnance Factory built on an 867-acre (3.51 km) site off Heighington Lane, Aycliffe, County Durham, England during the early 1940s.

Newton Aycliffe Newton Aycliffe was founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946. It is the oldest new town in the north of England. The population of the town at the time of the 2011 census was 26,633.

Newton Aycliffe F.C. Newton Aycliffe Football Club play in the Northern League Division One. The club’s ground is the Moore Lane Sports Club Ground. They are based in County Durham, County Durham.

Visit Newton Aycliffe plaques