Washington (Tyne and Wear)
Washington is a city in North East England. It is part of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear and the Metropolitan Borough City of Sunderland. Washington has 55 454 inhabitants (2001) and is located approximately 16 km west of Sunderland and south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Washington got in 1964 the status of a New Town, so one of the towns that were after the Second World War, object -scheduled urban development, so that the population of the commuter town has grown considerably in recent decades and a number of new settlements were created. In the center of Washington's stand The Galleries, a 1974 inaugurated Shopping center with several supermarkets; The Galleries are located in the immediate vicinity of Princess Anne's Park.
History
The place is first mentioned in 1096 as Wasindone; the name is probably due to waesc (' waters ') and dun (' hill '), that means as much as: place of the people who live on the hill by the river, a reference to the nearby River Wear. But can not exclude a derivation as, settlement of Wassa ' (see the article on behalf of Washington).
The mansion Old Hall was completely renovated in the 17th century, so reminiscent of the medieval building little. The rural municipality in the former County Durham experienced in industrialization by the coal mines around an upswing; to the coal mines around new housing estates were each produced. The F Pit Museum (named after the pit F, the mines after the alphabet letters ) is reminiscent of that time. Railways brought the coal down to the wear and to Sunderland, from where it was shipped. In addition to coal mining, especially the chemical industry in Washington developed in the 19th century; most important representatives of this industry, the company was Cape / Newall, which established insulation. Again came with Pattinson own workers' settlement.
Roots of George Washington
1183 William de Hertburn pulled into town (then Wassyngtona ) and let the Old Hall built for himself as a country residence, and named after the place from then William de Wassyngtona. William is ancestor of the Washington family (and hence of George Washington, the first President of the United States ), the 1657 finally moved Sulgrave Manor 1539 in Northamptonshire and to Virginia, where the emigration from England was ironically due to their proroyalistischen attitude.
In honor of George Washington held a celebration on every 4th of July in Old Hall.
Economy
Today, textile, electrical and automotive industries are the most important industries. The largest employer is the vehicle manufacturer Nissan.
Attractions
In addition to the F Pit Museum set up in 1975, especially the nature reserve of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is worth seeing, where flamingos and swans, ducks and geese are kept. Not far from Washington is also the North of England Open Air Museum, an outdoor museum that gives visitors the reconstruction of a typical northern English industrial city in the early 20th century. In a former farm, the Washington Arts Centre is housed in the are next to the municipal theater artists' studios and a recording studio. On the old RAF Usworth is a Aviation Museum; Efforts to establish a civilian airport in Washington have so far failed.
Education
Washington has 14 primary schools and five secondary schools.
Traffic
Despite its importance as a mining town in northern England coalfield Washington now has a rail connection and is therefore (in addition to Corby and Gosport ) one of the UK's largest towns without railway station. Plans to extend the Tyne and Wear Metro, so the subway from Newcastle to Washington, have not yet been realized. There is a bus station at the Galleries. The nearest motorway is the running on the western outskirts A1.
Personalities
- Gertrude Bell, writer (1868-1926)
- Bryan Ferry, musician, lead singer of Roxy Music ( b. 1945 )
And in a broader sense as an honored son "of the city:
- George Washington (1732-1799), President of the United States of America