North Gosforth is a township and ecclesiastical parish, formed out of Gosforth parochial chapelry and Long Benton parish, May 19, 1865, and is a miles north from Gosforth tram terminus. St. Mary’s church, erected by T. E. Smith esq. near Gosforth House, and on the east side of the North road, is an edifice of stone, in the Gothic style, consisting of chancel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and an unfinished western tower: there are five stained windows. The register dates from the year 1865. The living is a vicarage, average tithe rent-charge £87, net yearly value £107, with residence at Seaton Bum, Killing-worth, in the gift of T. E. Smith esq. and held since 1881 by the Rev. Charles John Naters L.Th, of Durham University.

There was anciently a chapel here, dating from the early part of the 12th cent, and which appears to have been in use for burial services as late as about 1730 or 1740; subsequently it was allowed to become ruinous, and in 1828 the remains were inclosed by a fence: the building consisted of a chancel and nave, divided by a wall with an archway 6 feet wide: in the chancel was a priests’ doorway, and on the south side of the nave the principal entrance, the bases of the shafts of which remain: in 1882, under a resolution of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-on-Tyne, excavations were made in and about, the chapel by Mr. Sheriton Holmes and Mr. Hodges of Hexham; four skeletons, buried apparently without coffins, were found in the chancel and in the nave an altar slab and fragments of sepulchral slabs; there was also found a pedestal stone, consisting of four clustered shafts rising from a square base and perhaps supporting a font basin: in the graveyard lie a number of inscribed and other slabs, one of which bears a sword and a kind of flower ornament: two large slabs, one opposite the south door and the other at the west end, have carved escutcheons of arms, with mantling and crest, in sunken circles, and inscriptions respectively to the Robinson family, 1664-91 and to William Hedley, Mary his wife and 12 children, 1664-5: a Roman centurial stone is built into the east wall of the chancel. A cemetery for North Gosforth, consisting of 2 acres, was formed in 1878 at a cost of £1,200 and is under the control of a burial board of 9 members. Gosforth House was erected in 1760 by Charles Brandling esq.: in 1880 the house and 807 acres of land were purchased by Charles Perkins and J. Fife Scott esqrs. for the sum of £66,000 and afterwards transferred to the High Gosforth Park Co. Limited, formed for taking over the purchase and converting the house and park into an hotel and race-course: the ground is admirably suited for the purpose and as laid out by the Company comprises one of the best straight mile courses in the kingdom: there is also a circular 2 ½ mile course and a 3 ½ mile course for steeplechases: the trotting track is half a mile in length and has been constructed on the American principle, and 40 acres of land have been inclosed for coursing matches: the mansion, now a first-class hotel, has stabling for 115 horses and in front is the grand stand: within the grounds is a lake, covering about 50 acres, appropriated to boating, skating, or curling, according to the season of the year. Low Gosforth House, formerly also the property of the Brandlings, was entirely rebuilt by Mr. Laycock: in April, 1878, it was destroyed by fire, but has since been restored and is now the residence of James A. Wood esq. The principal landowners are the High Gosforth Park Co. Limited, the trustees of J. Laycock, T. E. Smith esq. and Mr. Hall. The area of the township is 1,068 acres; rateable value, £3,420; the population in 1891 was-township, 139; ecclesiastical parish, 1,806.