Washington New Town

Washington New Town replaced four collieries (Glebe, Harraton, Washington F Pit and Usworth) and several colliery villages (Usworth, Donwell, Concord, Washington, Columbia, Fatfield and Mount Pleasant). The masterplan was drawn up by Llewelyn-Davies, Weeks & Partners and Sylvia Crowe & Associates in 1967. The town included neighbourhood villages linked by a grid of roads. It was a third of the size of Milton Keynes, the largest contemporary post-war New Town. The town centre had a shopping precinct (The Galleries) by Eric Watson, Corporation Architect, a civic centre, library, health centre, police station and sports hall with swimming pool. The Galleries was finished by 1978. Durham Tower is the only tower-block in Washington, designed by Riches & Blythin and built 1972-8. The town centre has no church or public meeting place.