In 1205, King John settled the issue by granting the lands to Roald the Constable of Richmond.

They held the manor until 1590 when the direct male line ceased, but Clervaux inheritance continued via marriage to the Chaytor family into the 20th century.

[6] The etymology of the village name comes from the Old English word Croft meaning a small enclosed field.

[7][8] Croft was once significant for its spa, first noticed in 1668, and as early as 1713 the sulphurous spring water had acquired such fame that it was sold in London as a cure for ailments and diseases, as described in Robert Willan's study of the sulphur water at Croft, published in London in 1782.

The bridge over the Tees between Croft and Hurworth marks the boundary between North Yorkshire and County Durham.

The religious make-up was 75.5% Christian, a small Hindu minority, with the rest stating no religion.

The village church, St Peter's, is a 14th-century style building situated on the bank of the Tees.

[24] Whilst not a job in Yorkshire, the incoming Bishop of Durham meets the Mayor of Darlington to be presented with the falchion that John Conyers used to despatch the Sockburn Worm.

[28][29] Historians believe Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat in the book Alice in Wonderland was inspired by a carving in Croft Church.