Middleton St George

Human settlement in England

Darlington

County Durham

Region

North East

CountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townDarlingtonPostcode districtDL2PoliceDurhamFire County Durham and Darlington Ambulance North East UK Parliament

Sedgefield

List of places: UK; England; County Durham

54°30′45″N 1°28′03″W / 54.51243°N 1.46757°W / 54.51243; -1.46757

Middleton St George is a large village and civil parish in the borough of Darlington and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east of Darlington. According to the 2011 UK Census the population was 3,779, including Middleton One Row, Low Middleton and Oak Tree. ^[1] It has grown rapidly since the mid-1990s, becoming a commuter area for Darlington. The population of the Darlington ward in question again taken at the 2011 Census was 4,650.^[2]

History

In 1870-72 John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Middleton St. George.^[3]

Governance

Middleton St George within the Sedgefield parliamentary constituency which is under the control of the Conservative Party. The current Member of Parliament, since the 2019 general election, is Paul Howell.

The village falls under the Sadberge and Middleton St. George ward of Darlington Borough Council,^[4] the parish council holds monthly meetings in the local community centre.^[5]

One former member of parliament for the constituency was Prime Minister Tony Blair ^[6]

Transport

The original line of the Stockton and Darlington Railway passed through the village, which is now served by Dinsdale railway station, within a mile of the village is Teesside International Airport, formerly RAF Middleton St. George.

Middleton St George is also served by an hourly bus service provided by Arriva North East, which links the airport to Darlington and Hurworth Place.^[4]

Education

The village primary school, St George's Church of England Academy has approximately 400 pupils aged 3 to 11, in 2019 it was among the top 3 percent of primary schools nationally for student progress.^[7]

In the Neighbouring village of Hurworth is local secondary school Hurworth School where most of the villages 11-16 year olds attend.

Religion

The nearest church to the village is the Church of England St. George's in Low Middleton, however due to a lack of facilities, the building does not hold regular Sunday services, those instead being held at the village school, the premises still functions for weddings, baptisms, funerals and Christmas & Easter services.

Another Church of England property, St Laurence's in adjoining Middleton One Row dated back to 1871, and was officially closed in 2012 after structural difficulties and high repair costs,^[8] it has now been converted into a luxury home.^[9]

Community and culture

The local community centre was formerly a pumping station dating back to 1930, having been sold to the parish council in 1980.^[10]

The village amenities include Londis and Premier convenience stores, independently owned takeaways, a pet supply shop, a veterinarian practice and a local public house, The Havelock Arms.There is also a cricket club entitled Middleton St George Cricket and Social Club which is also a public house. A restaurant named the Oak Tree is also situated near the Airport.

There are also healthcare services in the form of St. George's Medical Practice and a dental surgery.

Sport

The local football team, Middleton Rangers FC, play in the Stockton Sunday League Division 1, an affiliate league of the North Yorkshire County Football Association. The village cricket club, Middleton St George CC, play in the Darlington and District Cricket League Division A.^[11] The nearby Dinsdale Golf Club has a history dating back to 1910.^[12]

References

^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 6 July 2015.
^ "Darlington ward population 2011". Retrieved 25 July 2015.
^ "Vision of Britain".
^ ^a ^b "DBC ward map" (PDF).
^ "Agendas and Minutes". Middleton St George Parish Council. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ https://members.parliament.uk/member/512/career
^ "Top marks! Darlington school among top three per cent in country". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ "Four year fight to save Middleton St George church is 'over'". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ Welford, Joanne (26 July 2021). "The stunning church being converted into unique home with its own tower". TeessideLive. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ "Middleton St George Village Hall". T.V.V.H.N. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ "Middleton St George CC". middletonstgeorge.play-cricket.com. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
^ "Golf club near Darlington unveils expansion ambition to secure its future". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 29 November 2021.