County Durham
County Durham is a historic and diverse ceremonial county stretching from the North Pennines in the west to the North Sea coast in the east. Its centrepiece is the city of Durham, renowned for its UNESCO-listed cathedral and castle, while the wider county includes former coal-mining towns such as Bishop Auckland and Consett, as well as coastal communities like Seaham and Hartlepool. The area was central to England’s industrial and railway heritage, particularly during the 19th century. Today, the ceremonial county includes three unitary authorities: Durham County Council, which covers the majority of the area; the Borough of Darlington; and Hartlepool Borough Council—both of which are administratively independent but fall within County Durham for ceremonial purposes.
Local Authorities in County Durham
- Durham County Council (Unitary Authority)
- Darlington Borough Council (Unitary Authority)
- Hartlepool Borough Council (Unitary Authority)
- Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (Unitary Authority)
County Durham, in England’s North East region, has a unitary system of local government with Durham County Council responsible for all local services including education, transport, planning, housing, and social care, following the replacement of the former two-tier structure in 2009. In addition, several areas historically part of County Durham now operate as separate unitary authorities: Darlington Borough Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (the latter partly shared with North Yorkshire). Together, these councils govern a county known for the historic cathedral city of Durham, market towns such as Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland, the heritage coastline, and former coalfield communities, balancing modern governance with a strong sense of history and identity.
Districts in County Durham
Constituencies in County Durham
- Bishop Auckland
- Blaydon and Consett
- City of Durham
- Darlington
- Easington
- Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor
- North Durham
- Stockton West
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 8 of them are in County Durham.