He himself [King Oswin], with only one trusty soldier, whose name was Tonhere, withdrew and lay concealed in the house of Earl Hunwald, whom he imagined to be his most assured friend.

it was otherwise; for the earl betrayed him, and Oswy, in a detestable manner, by the hands of his commander, Ethilwin, slew him..."[3] In the text given to us by Bede:[4] Remisit exercitum quem congregaverat, ac singulos domum redire praecepit, a loco qui vocatur Vilfaraesdun, id est Mons Vilfari, et set a vico Cataractone decem ferme millibus passum contra solistitialem occasum secretus: divertitque ipse cum uno tantum milite sibi fidelissimo, nomine Tondheri, celandus in domo comitis Hunualdi, quem etiam ipsum sibi amicissimum autumabat.

[5] Apart from this 7th century reference to Didderston's possible history, at least a part of Didderston manor had been well documented as a grange of Jervaulx Cistercian Abbey at least as early as the 13th century[6][7] and was known to have been one of the manors belonging to Thorfin of Ravensworth, the "horse thegn to the Earl of Northumbria"[6] during the reign of Edward the Confessor.

[7] Composite LiDAR imagery shows that the structure was built on an ancient riverbed and appears to have used the inlet stream to feed a moat.

Bodin later desired to become a monk and subsequently gave his lands (to include Didderston) to his brother, Bardulf.

Having had a crucial role in the accession of King James I, Edward Bruce of Kinloss was given the manor of Didderston.

[6] Eventually, the manorial lordship passed to his great-grandson, Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury, who, through his paternal grandmother, Anne Chichester, is a far removed 6th cousin of the current lord of the manor.