Ford village

The earliest known reference is c.1360, in a report on the possessions of the deceased Alexander Hilton, when "le Forth, Grindon and Clowcroft" were held by the service of one knight's fee. Ford remained part of the Hilton estates until 1750. Because the township included the south end of the Hylton ferry and a section of river bank, it became heavily industrialized in the 19th century, and part is better known as South Hylton. If there was a village, as one would suppose, its site is unknown but there are a number of possibilities: High Ford, at the junction of Grindon Lane and Hylton Road, Low Ford, and Ford Hall and grounds between Hylton Road and Westmoor Road.