 At the time of the Norman invasion, the manor was the possession of the Bishop of Durham and St Cuthbert's Church, Durham.The manor became a Mesne lordship and was held after the Norman invasion first by the "Percy" family and then by the "Darrell" family from the end of the 12th century to the late 15th century.When the family line of succession ended, it passed by marriage to the "Dawnay" family in 1525.