The outskirts of Darlington is packed full of incredible places and amazing views - including countless villages that pack in an abundance of history, architecture and heritage.

As part of great Darlington villages, we have pieced together five villages we class as 'unsung' and often overlooked compared to some other places in the area.

While many people will visit the centre of Darlington, these villages are well worth a visit if you're in the area.

And even if you're from the Darlington area, you have some amazing places on your doorstep.

Here are our five 'unsung' villages you must visit in Darlington:

Walworth

Steeped in history - Walworth might only have around 265 residents, but it more than makes up for in heritage and open countryside. 

Set 2.5 miles away from Darlington, this village boasts Walworth Castle, which dates back to the 16th century, as well as having a potentially lost settlement.

The castle is a Grade One listed building and has some stunning architecture.

However, if the weather is nice, a walk around the village and a look at the countryside around it. 

Walworth is well worth a visit.

Redworth

In the previous section, Walworth may have its Castle, but Redworth has Redworth Hall; a four-star hotel, which has been visited by many famous figures, including the England football team.

Alongside the impressive architecture of Redworth Hall, Redworth Wood is filled with protected trees and a Stone Age fort.

With its greenery around the village, Redworth is great for walking through the village and is good for nearby places - it is situated between Darlington and Shildon.

Middleton St George

A little more built up compared to the villages so far, Middleton St George is around 3.5 miles from Darlington and has grown in recent times, due to its commuter links to Darlington. 

However, there are still plenty of quaint parts of the village. 

Middleton St George is great for walks, either through the village or nearby countryside walks.

While this location is classed as a large village, it's still included on the list, due to many people going to Darlington and missing out on villages like Middleton St George completely.

Low Coniscliffe

Back to smaller Darlington villages, Low Coniscliffe may only have around 950 residents - but it has plenty of history.

The village contains a couple of listed buildings and the probable site of a medieval manor house.

A Palaeolithic axe head was found somewhere in the area. Roman coins were found in 1856 and 1978 in Cocker Beck, and the later finds were dated 308–346 AD.

Alongside the history, the modern-day Low Coniscliffe offers walks abound, as well as open countryside and an amazingly rated pub in the form of The Baydale Beck Inn.

Hurworth-on-Tees

Like Middleton St George, Hurworth is a large village near Darlington - but we wanted to include it for people who want to visit the area but don't necessarily want somewhere as busy as Darlington town centre.

The church of All Saints is situated in the middle of the village. The church was extensively rebuilt in the 1830s and again in 1871.

Another village that is steeped in history, for better or worse, in 1665, the Great Plague almost wiped out the village population of 750 leaving only around 75 survivors.

Three dips in the village green mark the site where as many as 1,500 people were buried in massive lime pits. 

Despite this grim insight into the village, there are plenty of amenities and walks that you can take in and around Hurworth.