Clowcroft village

In 1323 Robert, lord of Hylton, granted the chantry of St. Mary in the chapel of Hylton to his clerk, Robert de Chillingham. Among its endowments were 4.5 acres in the vill of Clowcroft. In 1361 Clowcroft, Grindon and Ford were held by Alexander Hilton for 1 knight's fee, and in 1431 Robert Conyers held the the manor from Sir William Hilton. In c. 1447 the manor was held by Sir William Bowes whose family continued to hold it from the Hiltons through the 16th century. The last known reference to Clowcroft is 1608. There is no precise clue to its location, but it is likely to have been south of the River Wear.