Tow Law

Tow Law is a town and civil parish in County Durham, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,952. The town constituted an urban district from 1894 until 1974. It is situated a few miles to the south of Consett.

The name "Tow Law" is from the Old English tot hlaw meaning "lookout mound," the name of a house which stood there before the iron works and the village were built.

The main road through the town is the A68, which starts near Darlington and goes on up to Dalkeith.

Tow Law Town football team is based in the town. The town is mentioned in the Mark Knopfler song "Hill Farmer's Blues" from his album The Ragpicker's Dream.

Since December 2001 the town has had a 2.3 MW wind farm consisting of three 50 m high wind power turbines. During the 2001 foot and mouth crisis, MAFF buried diseased animals at the former Inkerman Pit site. This was an emotive issue for local residents, who were disturbed by vehicle movements and smells from the pit. Many protesters attended the site every day for six months but had no effect and Defra continued to keep the site operational until the spring of 2002.

Notable people

 * ''See also Category:People from Tow Law


 * Albert Ernest Hillary, English chocolate manufacturer and Liberal politician
 * Sean Hodgson, Britain’s longest serving prisoner found to be innocent
 * Alan Milburn, a British Labour politician
 * Chris Waddle, Premier League footballer who was discovered playing for Tow Law Town A.F.C.