Merrybent is a linear village in the civil parish of Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the A67 road to the west of Darlington, a short distance to the north of the River Tees and the Teesdale Way. At the beginning of the 20th century there were hardly any buildings here, and its main feature at that time was Merrybent Nurseries with its many glasshouses. The nursery was cut through by the A1 road in the 1960s; at this point it runs on the trackbed of the old Merrybent railway.
The was authorised by the Merrybent and Darlington Railway Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict. c. lxxv)It was built in 1870 as a branch line which left the Darlington and Barnard Castle Railway near Newton Lane (Branksome) Darlington to carry limestone from Barton Quarry within the Low Merrybent estate near Scotch Corner North Yorkshire.
The A1, built 1963–1965, now follows the old rail trackbed as far as Barton quarries. The A1 was first proposed in 1929 but postponed due to the 1930s recession and World War II. After the Merrybent railway was abandoned, the road plan was associated with the Darlington bypass as a motorway in 1949, and was moved eastwards onto the old trackway in 1950. After various planning adjustments, construction of this stretch of the A1 started officially by Dowsett Engineering Ltd. of Gateshead on 6 May 1963. During World War II there were landgirls from the Women's Land Army working at Merrybent Nurseries. There were 56 glasshouses owned by the Co-operative Society; the girls grew tomatoes, controlled the rats, and were billeted in Darlington.
Merrybent today
The present village was built mostly in the 20th century, and in 2008–2009 new houses cost £95−320k. A strategic greenfield building site was identified on fields at the south-east of Merrybent by Darlington Borough Council in 2009. There is no school here, but the village is on the Barnard Castle School bus route. The Teesdale Way passes along the north bank of the meandering River Tees to the south of the village.
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Merrybent layby 087.jpg|Merrybent layby on the A67, east of the street settlement. Baydale Beck pub is in the background.
Ford to Swine Lairs Farm , River Tees - geograph.org.uk - 136360.jpg|Ford across Tees. Photo taken from Teesdale Way, south of Merrybent
A1(M) Motorway, Merrybent, Darlington - geograph.org.uk - 76441.jpg|The A1 at Merrybent, viewed from A67 road bridge
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