St.Andrews Church
Legend of "Cromwell's" Bridge
Oliver Cromwell, fighting against King Charles 1st's Army, is said to have crossed the bridge, east of the church in Dalton-le-dale.
This story was said to be untrue as the bridge was not built until 1789. However, there was always a ford across the beck and this road served as the main thoroughfare from Sunderland to Easington. It is a recorded fact, made by an attaché from the Scots Army, which had joined Cromwell against the Royalists, after an encounter on Boldon Hill, that the combined Scots and Parliamentarians moved from Sunderland to Easington:
"It was resolved our army should go to Easington where we might intercept provisions from Hartlepool, where we stayed till April 8th."
It is more than likely that Cromwell's army marched from Sunderland to Easington via Dalton-le-dale ford.
As in all myths, there is always some grain of truth, arising from a real event!