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In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Mainsforth like this:
MAINSFORTH, a township in Bishop-Middleham parish, Durham, on the river Little Skerne; near the Darlington railway, 7½ miles E of Bishop-Auckland. Acres, 627. Real property, £586. Pop., 58. Houses, 10. Mainsforth Hall belonged to the Huttons; passed to the Surteeses; and is notable for the residence in it of the late Robert Surtees, the county historian and antiquary. ...
Sir Walter Scott often visited it; and he planted an oak tree, which flourishes at the end of the houseterrace. An association, called the Surtees society, in memory of Mr. Robert Surtees, was formed immediately after his decease, for publishing unedited manuscripts relating to the North of England. An antler of a moose deer was found in the township; and an ancient camp is here, occupying 16 acres.
Mainsforth is now part of COUNTY DURHAM Unitary Authority. Click here for graphs and data of how COUNTY DURHAM has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Mainsforth itself, go to Statistics.
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Mainsforth in County Durham | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1909
Date accessed: 09th April 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Mainsforth".
