Ovington, County Durham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ovington |
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 Ovington |
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 Ovington
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| Population | 217 (2011 including Barforth) |
| OS grid reference | NZ131146 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Richmond |
| Postcode district | DL11 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Ovington is a small village and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is located about 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of Barnard Castle. The village used to be part of North Riding of Yorkshire. However, since 1974, it has been managed by County Durham.
A Look at Ovington's Past
Just under a mile west of Ovington, you can find the remains of an Iron Age hillfort. This old fort is known as Cockshot Camp. It shows that people lived in this area a very long time ago.
In the years 1870-72, a book called Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Ovington. It said Ovington was a small area near the river Tees. The book mentioned that the village had 142 people living in 34 houses. It also noted that a type of old religious house, called a Gilbertine priory, was once here. However, no signs of it remain today.
How Ovington is Governed
From 1974, Ovington was part of a local government area called Teesdale. This area was later removed in 2009. Now, for local elections, Ovington is part of the Barnard Castle East ward. This ward helps choose who represents the area on the Durham County Council.
The village is also part of the Bishop Auckland area for national elections. This area chooses a person to represent them in the UK Parliament. The current Member of Parliament (MP) for Bishop Auckland is Dehenna Davison. She has been the MP since the 2019 general election.
Village Life and Traditions
One of the most famous things in Ovington is its tall maypole. This pole is 60 feet high and stands on the village green. It is a very important part of the village's yearly May Day celebrations.
The first maypole was put up in 1897. This was to celebrate Queen Victoria's 60 years as queen. In 1987, it became a protected building, known as a grade II listed structure. The original pole was replaced in 2006 because it was too expensive to fix. In 2015, strong winds broke the new maypole. But by September 2016, a new one was put up. Parts of the old maypole were even made into benches for the village green.
Ovington also has one pub called The Four Alls. This pub is over 200 years old. The village also has a village hall. This is where the local parish council holds its meetings to discuss village matters.
