Gainford, County Durham

Village in County Durham, England near River Tees

Human settlement in England

Gainford

Gainford Post Office

Gainford

Location within County Durham

Population| 1,241 (including Denton, County Durham 2011)[1]
OS grid reference| NZ168166
Unitary authority|

* County Durham

Ceremonial county|

* County Durham

Region|

* North East

Country| England
Sovereign state| United Kingdom
Post town| Darlington
Postcode district| DL2
Police| Durham
Fire| County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance| North East
UK Parliament|

* Bishop Auckland

List of places

England
County Durham

54°32′42″N 1°44′30″W﻿ / ﻿54.54508°N 1.74163°W﻿ / 54.54508; -1.74163

Gainford or Gainford on Tees is a village on the north bank of the River Tees in County Durham, England. It is half-way between Barnard Castle and Darlington, near Winston, at OS map reference NZ 1716.

## History

[edit]

In Anglo-Saxon times, Gainford was the centre of an estate, part of the Northumbrian Congregation of Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. Later, this area was occupied by Vikings. Archaeologists have found Viking sculptures at Gainford and several examples of these have been put on display in the Open Treasure exhibition at Durham Cathedral. Many sculptures found at Gainford show both Northumbrian and Viking influence. Despite the Viking settlement, Northumbrian Angles remained major landowners along the banks of the Tees in Viking times.

In the nineteenth century Gainford village had its own spa. Today its main features are an unspoilt village green, a Jacobean hall and a Georgian street called High Row. The village church of St Mary's, Gainford, stands on the site of an Anglo-Saxon monastery built by Bishop Ecgred of Lindisfarne in the early 9th century.[citation needed]

In 1904 the family of a deceased Joseph Edleston owned a plot of land next to the churchyard of St. Mary's in Gainford.[2] The children asked to erect a monument in the churchyard in memory of Joseph's 41-year tenure at the church.[2] The church refused permission, asserting that the churchyard was full, but that the family could donate their land to the church and then build a monument on part of it.[2] Feeling slighted, the family immediately set about building themselves a house on their land with a 40-foot column erected next to the churchyard so it towered over the trees and pointed a huge V-sign in stone towards the church authorities.[2] The Edleston Spite House is still standing and occupied and has MCMIV (1904) over the front door.[2] While the 40-foot column is still standing, the 'V' sign is now gone.

## House styles

[edit]

The houses around the green are mostly Georgian with some rubble-built houses on the north and south sides of the green. When they were built, the rubble-built houses would have been rendered, but the present fashion is to reveal the stonework with the rendering removed. Roofs are mostly red pantiles, and tend to be finished with a line of split-stone along the eaves. Some of the larger buildings have blue slate roofs, the slate probably brought by the railway. The older cottages in the village have steep pitched roofs in a style that suggests earlier heather thatching.[3]

## Village cross

[edit]

Torwards the western end of the village green, there is a stone cross on a square base. The base is thought to be medieval in origin, but the cross itself is Victorian. It is dated 1897 and commemorates Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The Cross was made by Isaac Charge and Son, of Gainford. The cross has a slightly battered shaft and Saxon-type head. There is an inscription on the west face of the shaft which states: In thankful commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the accession of Queen Victoria on June 20th 1897. This cross was re-erected and trees planted on the green by the inhabitants of Gainford.[4][5]

## Notable residents

[edit]

The geographer Charles Bungay Fawcett (1883 – 1952), regarded as "one of the founders of modern British academic geography" and an early promoter of the idea of regional planning.[6] was educated at the school in Gainford.

Images of Gainford

* Church of St Mary

* The Cross Keys Public House, Gainford

* Commemorative village cross

* A view of the village Green

Images of Gainford

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 6 July 2015.
2. ^ a b c d e Lloyd, Chris (January 5, 2005). "Echo Memories - Of feuds and fiefdoms in little Gainford", The Northern Echo, Darlington. p. 8.
3. ^ Durham County Council: Gainford Conservation Appraisal - December 2013 Archived 2014-05-08 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Keys to the Past: The Village Cross, Gainford Archived 2015-06-19 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ British Listed Buildings website - citing: English Heritage - Gainford, Village Cross
6. ^ John Tomaney, Anglo-Scottish Relations: A Borderland Perspective, in William L. Miller (ed.), Anglo-Scottish Relations, from 1900 to Devolution and Beyond, Oxford University Press, 2005, pp.232-233

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gainford, County Durham.

* Gainford Spa Archived 29 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine
* A Sword-Dance Play performed at Gainford c.1860
* The History of Gainford

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Civil parishes in County Durham

* including Stockton-on-Tees (north of the river)

Darlington|

Parishes
Archdeacon Newton
Barmpton
Bishopton
Brafferton
Coatham Mundeville
Denton
East and West Newbiggin
Great Burdon
Great Stainton
Heighington
High Coniscliffe
Houghton le Side
Hurworth
Killerby
Little Stainton
Low Coniscliffe and Merrybent
Middleton St. George
Morton Palms
Neasham
Piercebridge
Sadberge
Summerhouse
Walworth
Whessoe

Unparished areas
The former Darlington County Borough

County Durham|

Towns
Barnard Castle
Bishop Auckland
Chilton
Ferryhill
Great Aycliffe
Greater Willington
Peterlee
Seaham
Sedgefield
Shildon
Spennymoor
Stanley
Tow Law

Parishes
Barforth
Barningham
Bearpark
Belmont
Bishop Middleham
Bolam
Boldron
Bournmoor
Bowes
Bradbury and the Isle
Brancepeth
Brandon and Byshottles
Brignall
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Cassop-cum-Quarrington
Castle Eden
City of Durham
Cleatlam
Cockfield
Cornforth
Cornsay
Cotherstone
Coxhoe
Croxdale and Hett
Dalton-le-Dale
Dene Valley
Easington Colliery
Easington Village
Edmondbyers
Edmondsley
Eggleston
Egglestone Abbey
Eldon
Esh
Etherley
Evenwood and Barony
Fishburn
Forest and Frith
Framwellgate Moor
Gainford
Gilmonby
Great Lumley
Greencroft
Hamsterley
Hamsterley Common
Haswell
Hawthorn
Headlam
Healeyfield
Hedleyhope
Hilton
Holwick
Hope
Horden
Hunderthwaite
Hunstanworth
Hutton Henry and Station Town
Hutton Magna
Ingleton
Kelloe
Kimblesworth and Plawsworth
Lanchester
Langleydale and Shotton
Langton
Lartington
Little Lumley
Lunedale
Lynesack and Softley
Marwood
Mickleton
Middleton in Teesdale
Middridge
Monk Hesleden
Mordon
Morton Tinmouth
Muggleswick
Murton
Nesbitt
Newbiggin
North Lodge
Ouston
Ovington
Pelton
Pittington
Raby with Keverstone
Rokeby
Romaldkirk
Sacriston
Satley
Scargill
Seaton with Slingley
Shadforth
Sheraton with Hulam
Sherburn Village
Shincliffe
Shotton
South Bedburn
South Hetton
Staindrop
Stanhope
Startforth
Streatlam and Stainton
Thornley
Toft Hill
Trimdon
Trimdon Foundry
Urpeth
Waldridge
Wackerfield
Weather Hill Wood
West Auckland
West Rainton and Leamside
Westwick
Wheatley Hill
Whorlton
Windlestone
Wingate
Winston
Witton Gilbert
Witton-le-Wear
Wolsingham
Wolsingham Park Moor
Woodland
Wycliffe with Thorpe

Unparished areas
The former Chester le Street Urban District
Consett
Parts of the former Durham Municipal Borough
Parts of the former Bishop Auckland Urban District
Crook and Willington Urban District
Gilesgate
Stanley Urban District

Hartlepool|

Towns
Headland

Parishes
Brierton
Claxton
Dalton Piercy
Elwick
Greatham
Hart
Newton Bewley
Wynyard

Unparished areas
Part of the former Hartlepool County Borough

Stockton-on-Tees|

Towns
Billingham

Parishes
Aislaby
Carlton
Egglescliffe
Elton
Grindon and Thorpe Thewles
Longnewton
Newsham
Preston-on-Tees
Redmarshall
Stillington and Whitton
Wolviston
Wynyard

Unparished areas
Part of the former Teesside County Borough

* For further information about the above parishes, see List of civil parishes in County Durham.

* For the part of Stockton-on-Tees (borough) south of the River Tees, see List of civil parishes in North Yorkshire.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
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National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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