Part of the bishops's estates, the earliest documentary reference appears to be 1183. Hatfield's Survey records the village as split between Sir William Hilton (2 parts) and Alice de Moderby (1 part). The Hilton family remained the principal landowners until the sale, in 1750, of their estate which then consisted of 7 farms though 8 are listed in 1755, and several remained in the village. The regular 2-row plan with green survives, though many of the buildings are modern. There are stone buildings, which appear largely19th century and have been/are being much altered at the east end of the green; on the north side at the east end stone cellars; and a pub and small terrace on south side. Outside the west end is the church, already present on 1st ed. OS, and outside the east end the school shown on 2nd ed. A watching brief was undertaken in May 2003 during the construction of a split level dwelling at "The Retreat" at Usworth next to Holy Trinity Church. No archaeological deposits were recorded, the foundations of a former stone cottage were found.

In 2018 groundworks at the former primary school of High Usworth were monitored because the northern extent of the proposed development was within the boundary of Great Ushaw village. During this monitoring no archaeological features were recorded and no artefacts were recovered. Dated C12th.

These 2 sites, which are quite close to one another, are normally coupled, and the O.S. adds a third. Surface finds of "Tardenoisian flint tools and chips" were made by G. Coupland in c. 1923; H. Preston in c. 1933; and ?A.N. Other. In a total of 281, Wymer lists the finds from Coupland's sites as: Sheddons Hill, 1 microlith (Mus. Ant.); 5 blades/flakes, 1 graver, 1 other, 1 microlith, 1 micro-burin (Hancock Mus. ex H. Preston); Black Fell, 139 blades/flakes, 3 scrapers, 15 microliths, 8 micro-burins (no home?); 5 blades/flakes (Mus. Ant.). In Sunderland Mus., from Black Fell (found by whom?), 87 blades/flakes, 2 scrapers, 8 microliths, 4 micro-burins. Miket reports a total of 421 being found c. 1923, of which only c. 100 survive, presumably those listed above as being in Sunderland Museum.

Paul Bidwell reports that Sunderland Museum holds 67 tools and waste flakes excavated by Coupland from the coast between Sunderland and Ryhope, i.e. between the above grid references, in addition to the groups listed above. Fieldwalking in 2005 in advance of the construction of a gas pipeline recovered 12 pieces of locally derived flint, but only one was worked. The excavation of six trial trenches found no features or finds of archaeological interest but subsequent watching brief recovered five more lithics and a single sherd of medieval pottery.

les Barres (1334) means outer fortifications, Beleburne (1303) means swollen or beautiful stream. Barras Bridge carried the Great North Road across the Pandon Burn just north of the junction of Northumberland Street and Percy Street. Remains of the bridge arch, viz. at least two of the medieval ribs, and part of a later widening, survive in the Pandon sewer. The bridge is "just south of the pedestrian crossing south of Claremont Road and is about 10 feet below the existing road surface". It was apparently widened in 1789, to the design of David Stephenson, architect, and "rebuilt, raised and considerably widened" in 1819. It probably disappeared in 1835 when the dene was filled up.

Bourne: "...the Word Barrows signifies the same as Tinnuli (sic), Hillocks, and sometimes Graves and Sepulchres: And when it is considered, that the Hospital of St. Mary Magdalen was founded for the Reception of Leprous Folks, it is easy to see, that the Maudlin-Barrows are the Tombs or Burial-Places of those that died of the Leprosy in that Hospital:...". Brand repeated Bourne's suggestion that these supposed graves were in "the present 'Sick- Man's Close'". Mackenzie not only equated 'Sick-Man's Close' with St. James' Close (now the site of the Hancock Museum and terraces to the north as far as Park Terrace), but reported that "vast quantities of human bones" had been found during building operations there. Note however that the 1732 map of the hospital lands shows 'Sick Mens Close' where Brandling village is now, and 'Dead Men's Graves' on the site of the 19th century All Saints Cemetery.

In the account of the wards there is reference to "the Great Cross standing within the Maudlin-Barres without the Newyate...", and Bourne quotes the Milbank MS thus: "At the end of the Barras-Bridge before the Chapel stood a stately Cross firm and compleat, and John Pigg in the Time of the Rebellion took it down, and called it Idolatry, and thought to make his own use of it; but it was broke by some who hated it should be prophaned...".

Earliest certain reference is 1542 when the Master of the Hospital of St. Mary Magdalene was styled also "Previsour of the chapell of St. Jaymes, and of the Lazar House nigh adjoining to the said hospitall". The account of the wards may be earlier - "...the Water-Mill beside St.James' kirk". The chapel is located by the 18th century historians "on the north side of the Barras Bridge". Brand - "The western end of this chapel has been converted into a cowhouse: in the east end is at present a dwelling-house, the fireplace of which stands on the site of the communion table. Old arches built up with brick are still observable, and the eastern window may still be traced out from the stairs of an adjoining house. The whole building is called at present "The Sick-Man's House". Largely demolished and rebuilt in 1797-1800, it came to be called St. James Place, and was finally cleared away when the Hancock Museum was built in 1878

Said to have been founded as a leper hospital by Henry I but there is no documentary evidence for its existence until temp. Pope Alexander III or IV. According to Charlton (1885) Henry I founded the hospital in Newgate for a master brethren and three sisters to receive lepers. The City Guide notes suggest it was founded in 1291 (Edward I). Henry II removed the hospital from Newgate to Barras Bridge. The hospital also dealt with other skin diseases, becoming so full that patients were also lodged outside in huts. Supposed to be dissolved 31 Henry VIII, but there is documentary evidence to show it survived through C16. After leprosy vanished from England, the hospital was used to treat plague sufferers. In 1582 Queen Elizabeth granted away the hospital, but it was refounded by James I, for a master and 3 old, poor and unmarried burgesses, in 1611 when the chapel of St. Thomas the Martyr on Tyne Bridge was annexed to it. Its last master seems to have succeeded in 1786, though in 1789 Brand noted that what was left of the building had been converted into dwelling houses. Richardson's etching of 1826 is the only known view, and it was demolished in or before 1830 when St. Thomas' church was erected on or near the site. (City Guides suggest demolished in 1825). Bourne suggests that the name Barras derives from barrows or grave mounds - it does seem likely that the area was used to bury those who had died from leprosy. Precise site of hospital is uncertain, but it was probably on the north side of the west end of St. Mary's Place, under St. Thomas' churchyard, in a field in 1732 labelled "No. 16. The Magdalens". Near the hospital was Emilden Place (1428) or Emuldon Place (1429). Dated C12th.

On 1 June 1814 Joseph Henderson of Gateshead Fell gave the Society of Antiquaries "the upper and lower Stones of an ancient Quern, or Hand Mill, found on Gateshead Fell. This donation was accompanied by a Drawing of the Lines of a certain Enclosure or Camp, in which these and several fragments of mill-stones were found. The place was situated in a parcel of ground allotted to Mr. Henderson, at the time of the enclosure of Gateshead Fell".

An earthwork, which produced querns, was recorded on Gateshead Fell. "The place was situated in a parcel of ground allotted to Mr. Henderson, at the time of the enclosure of Gateshead Fell. The west side of the entrenched ground measured 220 yards, the north end 66 yards, and the breadth of the area from east to west at the south end, and from the N.E. to the S.E. corner 33 yards. An oblong entrenched area, 30 yards long and 14 broad, was also formed on the east side of it; at the south end there was a circular enclosure, 14 feet in diamtere, formed with stones, each 3 feet long, and set on edge; and at 21 yards from the west side an entrenched line led to a spring opposite the north-west corner". Longstaffe wrote, "No evidence defines the date...of some irregular intrenchments in the Camp Field on Gateshead Low Fell, which is north-west of the old engine...". It was said more recently that the description suggested "a native settlement of Ewe Close type (Romano-British)".