History

Stainton is a village in County Durham. It is situated to the north east of Barnard Castle. Stainton Village has around 100 houses and although it is classed as a village by all residents it actually has no local amenities. It once had a public house, chapel, post office and a local shop, all of which are now private residences. Many of the properties are period properties and owned by older residents. Just across the road from Stainton Village is Broomielaw, once a picnic area and home to an old railway station (now on private land) where Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother used to travel to get to Streatlam Castle. Older residents remember the Queen Mother travelling to the Post Office by horse and carriage.

Streatlam has had close associations with Stainton. Mary Milner, a gardener’s daughter, was born in Stainton village and she married John Bowes, the tenth Earl of Streatlam, on his death bed. She had previously given birth to boy who was John Milner Bowes the gentleman responsible for Bowes museum situated on the outskirts of Barnard Castle.

Stainton Grove is a village which was originally an army camp during the second world war. The camp was built in 1941 during theSecond World War and served as part of the Battle School before the school moved to Warminster in 1945. Another section of the site was allocated as Blackbeck Prisoner of War Camp during the war. After the war married quarters were built on that part of the site now known as Stainton Grove. The camp went on to be used as a holding facility for units about to deploy on operations and, notably, the Green Howards prepared there for the Suez Crisis. Most of the camp closed in 1972 but parts of it remain in use as a cadet training centre.