Darlington had become a flourishing industrial town

Early settlement in the area can be deduced from various archaeological finds, but firm evidence of Saxon remains have been found, notably in a pagan Saxon cemetery discovered in 1876, and during the dig in the Market Place in 1994. This led archaeologists to believe that there was a Saxon Church on the site of the Market Place. The earliest surviving document about the town is a licence granted by King Ethelred, giving Darlington to the religious community at Durham, which guarded St Cuthbert's relics. Darlington became a manor of the Prince Bishops of Durham and continued to be so until the 19th Century. In 1180, the Bishop of Durham, Hugh Pudsey began work on the building of the church dedicated to Saint Cuthbert, whose remains had traditionally rested in the town after Lindisfarne had been attacked by Viking invaders.

By the Middle Ages, Darlington had become a flourishing industrial town, important for the export of wool and for the weaving and dyeing of cloth. The thriving market was certainly in existence by the early 13th Century. During the 16th Century there was much political and religious unrest throughout the country. Darlington's position on the Old Great North Road between London and Edinburgh, made it an ideal meeting place for the Council of the North, set up to control the border counties. The town was one of the chief centres of the Rising of the North, an unsuccessful revolt against religious persecution under Queen Elizabeth I. Domestically, the most significant event of the 16th Century was the fierce fire which raged throughout the town, destroying 273 houses and making many people homeless.

Between 1600 and 1800, the town continued to expand steadily with leather and linen industries developing. In the 18th Century, Darlington's thriving market was at the centre of a local agricultural revolution. Local farmers, Robert and Charles Colling, were experimenting with the breeding of local Shorthorn Cattle, which resulted in the production of the much travelled 189 stones (1200 Kg.) "Ketton" or "Durham Ox".

In 1825, the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the first railway in the world to carry passengers, had a major impact on Darlington's industrial life. Railway and general structural engineering firms were established, including Darlington Forge, Darlington Railway Locomotive Works (North Road Shops) and the world famous Whessoe and Cleveland Bridge (now Kvaerner Cleveland Bridge). Famous Quaker families such as the Backhouses and Peases were closely involved with the Stockton and Darlington Railway and were also active in banking, ironstone mining and the linen and woollen industries. They were also influential in political life, both locally and nationally.

Darlington adapted well to the demands of the 20th century and companies such as Darchem and Paton & Baldwins arrived. The 1960s brought a decline in railway and engineering jobs and the woollen industry came to an end. In recent years, the own has diversified yet again and is still home to world class companies. Employment in the service sector has expanded dramatically, with the advent of companies such as Orange PLC. With the town's involvement in the coming of the Railway Age, it is assured of its place in history and will undoubtedly respond to the challenges of the next Millenium.