Newton Aycliffe
District= Sedgefield | Region= North East England | County= County Durham | Ceremonial= County Durham | Traditional= County Durham | Constituency= Sedgefield | PostalTown= NEWTON AYCLIFFE | PostCode= DL5 | DiallingCode= 01325 | GridReference= NZ272246 | Euro= North East England | Police= Durham ConstabularyNewton 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 nearly 30,000 people. It is the largest town within Tony Blair's constituency, Sedgefield. The New towns were the brainchild of Winston Churchill to revive post war industry in an area dominated by steel and mining.
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 WWII 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.
Famous businesses located in the town include Flymo and 3M.
Its railway station lies on the original Stockton and Darlington Railway. Locomotion No 1 was placed on the lines at nearby Aycliffe Station in 1825. The name of the station was subsequently changed to Heighington Lane Station, and is now Heighington Station.Schools in the area are
*Aycliffe Village Primary School
*Byerley Park Primary School
*Elmfield Primary School
*Greenfield School Community and Arts College
*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
*Stephenson Way Primary School
*Sugar Hill Primary School
*Vane Road Primary School
*Woodham Burn Infant School
*Woodham Burn Junior School
*Woodham Community Technology College
*(Avenue Comprehensive School closed 1992)* http://www.aycliffeangels.org.uk - A web site dedicated to the Aycliffe Angels can be found at
* http://www.great-aycliffe.gov.uk - Great Aycliffe Town Council
* http://www.acley.co.uk - Archive website about the township of Great Aycliffe which also includes the nearby Aycliffe Village.
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