Gainford, County Durham

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

Legend has it that residents on the two sides of the river disputed ownership of a ford across the Tees. In the eventual battle, residents of the Durham side of the river gained the ford, and their village became known as Gainford. On the Yorkshire side of the river lies the site of the deserted village of Barforth or Barford, said to be named in memory of its residents' attempt to barricade the ford during the dispute.

In Anglo-Saxon times, Gainford was the centre of an important estate, part of the Northumbrian Congregation of Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. In the Dark Ages this area was taken by Vikings. Archaeologists have found Viking sculptures at Gainford and some examples of these may be seen on display at Durham Cathedral. Many sculptures und at Gainford show both Northumbrian and Viking influence. Despite the Viking settlement, Northumbrian Angles remained major land owners 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.

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Coordinates: 54°33′N, 1°44′W

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