Croxdale is a village in the civil parish of Croxdale and Hett, situated about south of Durham City, in County Durham , England and on the A167 road, formerly part of the Great North Road. It is on the route of the East Coast Main Line and at one time had a station. The railway crosses over Croxdale Viaduct, built in 1872, just north of the village. The Weardale Way long distance footpath passes through the nearby Croxdale Hall estate. History The village originates from a small settlement around Croxdale Hall which is about half a mile to the north east of the modern village. First mentioned in records as Crokesteil in 1195 the name may come from a Viking named Krokr and the shape of the river bends that meander like a tail. Ownership of Croxdale dates back to 1291 when it was owned by a Roger Routhberi. By the 1350s ownership of Croxdale had passed to Robert de Whalton a treasurer of Brittany. De Whalton's granddaughter Agnes married a Gerard Salvin in 1409 and the Croxdale estates passed to the Salvin family who still own Croxdale Hall and the surrounding estate to this day. For centuries the owner of Croxdale Hall has gone by the name Gerard Salvin, the family were noted Roman Catholics and had to keep a low profile for centuries due to Catholic persecutions. The original or old Croxdale consists of Croxdale Hall and surrounding buildings which include a chapel, farm houses and hay barn. Most of these buildings are listed and can be easily seen by following the Weardale Way public footpath across the estate. Located just to the north of Croxdale (to the left of the A167) is Burn Hall which was designed and built in 1821 by Durham architect Ignatius Bonomi for the Salvin family. The cost of owning and maintaining two grand halls proved prohibitive and it was sold in 1926 to Roman Catholic missionaries who used it to train boys as missionary priests. In 1995 it was sold again and became luxury apartments. The modern village of Croxdale exists because of coal mining coming to the area. Croxdale Pit was opened in 1845. This venture was carried out by the Salvin family of Croxdale Hall but lasted only a few decades, closing by 1870. At this time St Bartholomew's church was built by Salvin for the miners who were attracted