A BUILDING which has dominated the entrance to a village for almost a century has been demolished to make way for a housing development.

The demise of the imposing Chilton Infants School marks the end of an era for the County Durham community.

The school's days were numbered when it was amalgamated with the junior school last year.

A total of £2.5m has been spent on a refurbished and extended building on the junior school site.

The hole left by the former school will be filled by a development of 21 detached and semi-detached houses.

The bulldozing of the infants school has prompted mixed emotions from residents.

Peter Crawforth, secretary of Chilton West Residents' Association, said: "I am sad to see it go because it was a lovely old building and would have made a nice community house.

"But, having said that, it is nice to see it being replaced by something that should look nice and should be an asset to the village."

The school opened in September 1909 with eight classrooms and places for 240 pupils. It replaced the board school on the other side of the road, which was built in 1878.

A 39-place nursery opened on the site in September 1976, and the building was boarded up last year.

Several generations of Chilton residents have been taught at the school, including County Councillor George Porter, who has lived in the village all his life.

Councillor Porter, who opened the new school, said: "I have got many happy memories from there. I was sorry to see it go. But when we get the new housing and the bypass, it will make the village more attractive."