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Elwick, County Durham facts for kids

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Elwick
Village and civil parish
Elwick Village Green - geograph.org.uk - 279035.jpg
The village green
Elwick is located in County Durham
Elwick
Elwick
Population 1,001 (2011)
OS grid reference NZ4619932279
Civil parish
  • Elwick
Unitary authority
  • Hartlepool
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town HARTLEPOOL
Postcode district TS27
Dialling code 01429
Police Durham
Fire County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance North East
EU Parliament North East England
UK Parliament
  • Hartlepool
List of places
UK
England
County Durham
54°41′03″N 1°17′43″W / 54.6843°N 1.2953°W / 54.6843; -1.2953

Elwick is a small village in County Durham, England. It's part of the Hartlepool area and is located near the A19 road, west of the town of Hartlepool. For a long time, Elwick was known as a 'township' until 1866, when it officially became a 'civil parish'.

Elwick's Past and People

Elwick has a long history. In the 1870s, a writer named John Marius Wilson described Elwick as a small township with about 240 people living in 55 houses. He also mentioned that it had a post office and was a meeting place for the local foxhounds!

The number of people living in Elwick has changed over the years.

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1801 129 —    
1811 129 +0.0%
1821 176 +36.4%
1831 169 −4.0%
1841 165 −2.4%
1851 187 +13.3%
1881 166 −11.2%
1891 178 +7.2%
1901 258 +44.9%
1911 185 −28.3%
1921 197 +6.5%
1931 204 +3.6%
1951 208 +2.0%
1961 203 −2.4%

More recently, in 2015, the population of Elwick was recorded as 2,061 people.

How Elwick is Governed

Since 1974, Elwick has been an electoral ward within Hartlepool. It has its own parish council that helps manage local matters. In 2021, the Elwick Parish Council, along with councils from nearby villages, expressed a wish to rejoin County Durham.

Saint Peter's Church

Saint Peter's Church is the only church in Elwick and belongs to the Church of England. People describe it as a "small, friendly, family-orientated church."

The church is a very old building, first built in the late 1100s. It has been repaired and updated many times since then. It is a 'grade two listed building', which means it's a special historic building protected by English Heritage. The church has beautiful stained glass windows, including one installed in 2010 that shows a marriage scene.

Village Life and Facilities

Elwick has several places for people to gather and enjoy.

Local Businesses

The village has two pubs: The Spotted Cow and the McOrville Inn. There used to be a village shop and post office, which closed down. However, a local family has since reopened it as "Coopers of Elwick." It now sells groceries and also has a tea room where you can relax.

Community Spaces

There is a Women's Institute (WI) Hall in the village. This hall can be used for events and rented out by the community.

Elwick Village also has a popular play park and playing field called the James F. Grieves Memorial Playing Field. The Parish Council manages this area and has added lots of fun play equipment for children.

Village Green and Nature

At the heart of the village is a large village green. This green is used for community events like the annual Fete and a music event called "Gig on The Green."

There's also a peaceful wildlife garden in Elwick. It features wild flowers and a pond, offering a nice spot to relax and enjoy nature.

Learning in Elwick

Primary Education

The local school in Elwick is St Peter's Elwick Primary School.

Secondary and Higher Education

For older students, people usually travel outside the village to Hartlepool for secondary school and further education. The main secondary school linked to Elwick is High Tunstall College of Science. There are also other secondary schools in Hartlepool, such as Dyke House Sports and Technology College, The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College, Manor Community Academy, and St Hilda's Church of England School. For higher education, students can attend Hartlepool College of Further Education or Teesside University.

Getting Around Elwick

Crossroads, Elwick Road- Hart Back Lane - geograph.org.uk - 24528
The road through Elwick

A main road, called Elwick Road, runs through the center of the village. To the east, it connects Elwick to Hartlepool. To the west, it links up with the A19 road. There is also another exit from North Lane onto the A19.

Some changes have been made to the A19 nearby. It's now harder for villagers to get onto the A19 if they want to go north, or to exit the A19 if they are coming from the south. This means people sometimes have to drive extra distances. There are also concerns about more traffic using Elwick Road as a shortcut to the A19.

Public Transport

Pauls Travel operates a bus service, number 65, that goes through the village. Most bus journeys from Elwick take people to Hartlepool. Since early 2020, there's also been a "Tees Flex" bus service. This is a special "on-demand" service, meaning you can book a bus when you need it, funded by the Tees Valley Authority.

Travel by Air and Train

The closest airport to Elwick is Teesside International Airport. During World War II, this airport was known as RAF Middleton St George. Elwick does not have its own railway station. The nearest train stations are either Billingham or Hartlepool.

Elwick's Economy

Historically, in 1801, most people in Britain worked in either farming or trade. Elwick was mainly a farming area. Today, many people in Elwick are still working. Out of 517 working-age people (aged 16–74) living in Elwick, 283 have jobs.

Elwick's Landscape

Wind Turbine, Elwick - geograph.org.uk - 16420
The wind turbines

Renewable Energy

On the edge of Elwick, there are three large wind turbines. These were put in place by the energy company EON in 2003. The turbines create enough electricity to power 6,000 homes! When they were built, some people in the community supported them, while others were against them.

Local Climate

The average temperature in Elwick is between 8.5°C and 9.5°C. This is a bit colder than the average annual temperature for the whole of the UK, which is usually between 7°C and 11°C.

Buildings and Green Spaces

An old, six-story brick windmill in Elwick is a protected historic building. It was built in the mid-1800s and became a 'grade two listed building' in 1980. This means it's preserved as an important part of Elwick's history.

Apart from the historic windmill and the church, most of the buildings in Elwick are homes. The village has lots of green spaces and old farm buildings. It's not a very built-up area with lots of factories or big industrial buildings.

Local Geology

Elwick is located on low-lying land in a valley. The rocks found here are very old, dating back to the Triassic period (about 248 to 205 million years ago). The most common types of rock are red sandstone and mudstone. These rocks formed in dry, desert-like sea conditions, with even older rocks from the Permian period underneath them.

Natural Resources

Elwick's main natural resource is its fertile land, which is great for farming. There are many farms nearby. The village's windy climate is also a resource, as it helps the wind turbines produce electricity.

Famous People from Elwick

  • Ferdinand Ashmall (1695–1798), an English Catholic priest who lived to be over 100 years old.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Elwick (Durham) para niños

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