The Victoria County History of Durham
The Victoria County History of Durham was revived in 1999, the Durham VCH has produced the first red volume in the county series since 1928. Durham Volume IV, published in 2005, is an important new history of Darlington. This was preceded by the first ever VCH paperback, a study of the Darlington landscape. The Townscape of Darlington by Gillian Cookson, with contributions by Christine M. Newman and Graham R. Potts, was published in 2003. Five Red Book volumes have been published to date.
Part of Volume II, covering the medieval religious houses of the county, and Volume III which describes the city of Durham and the Stockton ward in the south east of the county is free, open-access on British History Online. For full access to all volumes, check your local library catalogue or your local archive.
Current work in the county is concentrated on upper Teesdale and will result in two VCH shorts on the parishes of Gainford and Middleton in Teesdale.