Etymology
The origins of the village's unusual name are uncertain; however, theories include a shortening of "North Place", "Near Place", or "Nigh Place", or that the original houses of the village stood on a boundary between two parishes, neither of which would accept the village. The village originally consisted of four terraced houses, known as No Place. In 1937, residents of the terrace of houses to the north, known as Co-operative Villas, demolished these houses, but took on the name for their own village. Derwentside Council tried to change the name of the village to Co-operative Villas in 1983; however, they met with strong protests from local residents at the removal of all signs pointing to No Place. Today the signs say both No Place and (at the request of some residents) Co-operative Villas.
Other unusual place names in the North East include the village of Pity Me (probably a contraction of Pithead Mere, a nearby bog), Bearpark (from Beaurepaire, French for "beautiful retreat" - the name of a nearby Norman manor), Idle (home of the famous Idle Working Men's Club), Once Brewed, and Twice Brewed.
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