Crookhall

First documented in the Boldon Book as “Cruketon pays four marks.” It is also listed in Bishops Hatfield's survey (1381) as, "John de Kirkby held the vill of Crokhogh and a hundred acres of arable arid woodland, by knight's service and 2s. and half an acre at Stokerley, once of Peter del Croke, 4d." The reference to a vill suggests the village or a hamlet existed at that time. The present Crookhall village was created in about 1844 when George Baker, MP of Crook Hall started to exploit the coal reserves on his estate. One up, one down cottages called Red Row and Blue Row were constructed for the mineworkers. The last of the cottages were demolished in about 1958/9 and the Miner's Institute…