Why visit Gainford
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 2 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Piercebridge Roman Bridge, Ruins of St Lawrence's Chapel and Gainford War Memorial.
Weather in Gainford
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Gainford
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.
From the Wikipedia article Gainford, County Durham (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Piercebridge Roman Bridge
Bridge · 2.8 mi
Former bridge over the River Tees in Northern England
Museums and landmarks3
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes2
History
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.
Read more of the history
In 1904 the family of a deceased Joseph Edleston owned a plot of land next to the churchyard of St. Mary's in Gainford. The children asked to erect a monument in the churchyard in memory of Joseph's 41-year tenure at the church. 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. 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. The Edleston Spite House is still standing and occupied and has MCMIV (1904) over the front door. While the 40-foot column is still standing, the 'V' sign is now gone.
From the History section of Gainford, County Durham on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Gainford
- Tom CarmedyEnglish footballer (1904-1985)
Born in Gainford, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship4
Schools, colleges and libraries1
Map of Gainford
13 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Teesside International Airport (MME) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Staindrop 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Darlington 8 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Bishop Auckland 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Newton Aycliffe 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Hunwick 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Scorton 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Spennymoor 12 mi northeast, about 19 min by car
- Yarm 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Stockton-on-Tees 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Durham 17 mi north, about 28 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Gainford
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Station house Gainford 2024, Henriettavally, CC0
- Cliffe Roman Bridge 1, Oliver Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0
- St Lawrence's Chapel, Barforth, Hugh Mortimer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Headlam Hall, Maypm, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.