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| Tow Law | |
|---|---|
 High Street, Tow Law, A68 | |
  Tow Law Location withinCounty Durham | |
| Population | 2,138 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NZ119393 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BISHOP AUCKLAND |
| Postcode district | DL13 |
| Dialling code | 01388 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Tow Law/taʊˈlɔː/ is a town andcivil parish inCounty Durham, England. It is situated a few miles to the south ofConsett and 5 miles to the north west ofCrook.
According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,952, increasing to 2,138 at the 2011 Census.[1]
The main road through the town is theA68, which starts inDarlington and goes on north, ending nearDalkeith, just south-east ofEdinburgh. TheRiver Deerness rises from a spring on the eastern edge of the town.[2]
Tow Law Town football club is based in the town. The town is mentioned inMark Knopfler's song "Hill Farmer's Blues" from his albumThe Ragpicker's Dream.
The name "Tow Law" is from theOld Englishtot hlaw meaning "lookout mound," the name of a house which stood there before the iron works and the village were built.[3]
St Philip &St James' Church Tow Law, designed by C. Hodgson Fowler, was completed in 1869.[4]
There was rapid growth in the mid 19th century after theWeardale Iron and Coal Company was established here in 1845.Blast furnaces were built and collieries were opened; the population was about 2000 in 1851, and 5000 in 1881.[5]
The town constituted anurban district from 1894 until 1974.
Since December 2001 the town has had a 2.3Megawatt wind farm consisting of three 50 m (160 ft)-highwind-powered turbines. During the2001 foot and mouth crisis,MAFF buried diseased animals at the formerInkerman Pit site. This was an emotive issue for local residents, who were disturbed by vehicle movements and smells from the pit.[6] Many protesters attended the site every day for six months but had no effect andDefra continued to keep the site operational until the spring of 2002.
