[8] In February 1203-4 King John confirmed to the prior and convent all their privileges and vast possessions, including "Staindrop and Staindropshire with the church".

[9] Perhaps the most famous building in Staindrop is that of Raby Castle, a medieval castle surrounded by 200 acres of deer park, situated 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the village, it was built in the late 14th century by John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville and remains a private home, the seat of the Vane family, the Barons Barnard.

[12] Snotterton Hall was a former fortified manor house dating back to the 15th century, demolished in 1831 and now rebuilt as a farmhouse.

For the purposes of Durham County Council elections, the village is located in the Barnard Castle East ward.

Other amenities in the village include a SPAR convenience store, a newsagent housing the local post office, tea room, hairdressers and several holiday cottages.

[23] The surveyor Jeremiah Dixon, who with Charles Mason calculated and laid out the Mason–Dixon line in North America, is buried in Staindrop.