The village of Croxdale lies about half way between Durham and Spennymoor. The river Wear runs along the north side of the parish, and is crossed by a series of impressive bridges.

Unlike many surrounding areas there is little surviving evidence for the history or archaeology of the village from before the medieval period. However, there must have been a village here from the late Anglo-Saxon period as the name 'Croxdale' means 'Croc's piece of land'. It was first recorded as 'Crokesteil' in 1195.

The medieval church, St Bart's was built in the 12th century, though it was much altered in later centuries. A stone cross base stands in the churchyard. There may was a manor house at Burn Hall, and the probable remains of a fishpondstand nearby. It is now used as a Roman Catholic seminary. However, the main manor house was Croxdale Hall, which like Burn Hall was the home of the Salvin family. The surviving building is a much-altered Tudor period house, which was expanded in the 18th century. It is surrounded by an {18th century garden D3189}.

In the 19th century the church was taken over by the Salvin family, who used it has a family burial chapel- they replaced it with a new church built at the nearby village of Sunderland Bridge St Bartholomew's.

In the early 19th century a coal mine was sunk, which produced coal until 1936. A number of rows of miner's cottages were built along the main road, as the population expanded with the success of the colliery.

During the First World War many of the inhabitants of the parish served in the forces. Their names can be found on war memorials in churches and public buildings around the parish, including St. Bartholomew's Church in Croxdale, St. John's Church in Meadowfield and in various social clubs where many of the working members enlisted in the war effort.