Q Could you please settle a discussion in our local pub. Where did Witton Park, a village outside Bishop Auckland, get its name from? - R.Hutchinson, Arundel Close, Bishop Auckland

A WITTON is a relatively common place name and usually dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. It derives from 'Widu-Tun' meaning the 'wood settlement'. It is believed that these were places that belonged to part of a larger estate and that they originally fulfilled a specialised role within the estate in which the felling and processing of timber for fuel and other needs took place.

Other Wittons in County Durham include Witton Gilbert, Witton-le-Wear and the nearby East Witton Row and West Witton Row. There is also a West Witton and East Witton in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire.

Witton Park near Bishop Auckland ultimately owes its name to Witton-le-Wear. This settlement on the banks of the Wear was called Wuduton in 1040, Wuttun in 1163, Wittun in 1261, Woton on Wear in 1348 and Witon opon Weire in 1587. It probably acquired the name Witton-le-Wear for fashionable purposes bringing it in line with other County Durham towns like Chester-le-Street and Howden-le-Wear.

Witton-le-Wear also gave its name to the neighbouring Witton Farm and the nearby hamlets of East Witton Row and West Witton Row. Either of these might be identified with the Wythenraue and Wyttonrawe that were respectively mentioned in Medieval records in 1200 and 1382. Rawe is an old Anglo-Saxon word for a row of houses.

When a licence was granted to build a castle nearby, the castle took its name from these neighbouring settlements and became Witton Castle. The castle included an extensive Medieval park known as Witton Park, although the name of the park was not mentioned until 1647 when it was called 'Witton Parke'.

In 1846, an ironworks was built near the edge of this old park by the Teesside ironmasters Henry Bolckow and John Vaughan. The works provided jobs for 2,000 people and a village grew up around them. The new settlement was named Witton Park since it developed close to Witton Park Farm on the edge of the castle's old estate. The booming iron town village was a home to some 4,300 people by 1871 and included many Welsh and Irish workers amongst its population.

Q When I was a child, more than 70 years ago, my favourite sweetshop sold Tiger Nuts. These were delicious small brown nuts with a sweet taste. Can you or any of your readers tell me what happened to them? - Mrs N.Harrison Newton Aycliffe

A I AM afraid I have drawn a blank on this one. If anyone remembers Tiger Nuts or knows if they can still be obtained please write to me.

If you have a Burning Question, or can improve on any of the answers above, please write to Burning Questions, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF or e-mail david.simpson@nne.co.uk

Published 26/08/2002