Birtley village

The earliest reference is in Boldon Buke (c.1183 survey of land belonging to the Bishop of Durham, Hugh du Puiset). "Birtley and Tribley render 20s, and attend the great chase with 2 greyhounds". According to Surtees the Birtleys held the manor of Birtley for several generations, but by the time of Hatfield's Survey (c.1382) the vill was held by Lord Nevill, and Gilbert Eglyne, who had married a Birtley heiress, on the same terms as above. It was not, at that time, an important centre and was listed under Kibblesworth. The village lay close to and parallel with the east side of the old Great North Road. Roberts and Austin describe it as having an irregular two-row plan with green.