During  the time of the Great War, Darrington Hall was used as a hospital.  It was opened as an annexe to Stapleton Park V A D Hospital on April 23rd, 1917 with 50 beds.  In April 1918, it became an independent hospital with 56 beds.  It was closed in January 1919, by which time the total number of patients treated was 406.
The house was kindly loaned for this purpose by the Rev Estcourt Grey. (Commandant and Quartermasrer: Mrs Neilson; Medical Officer : Dr Orford)

In 1992, Mrs Irene Downing who by then was nearly 90 years old and nearly blind gave us about 50 pages of words accompanied by her own drawings which represented her memories of the dreamy days of village life in Darrington now long gone. She obviously enjoyed her childhood in the Darrington and Wentbridge area.
She recalled that people who lived to the west of the Great North Road  were called "top enders" while residents to the east were called "bottom enders."
Darrington sounds were the song of the nightingale in valley woods, owls hooting in the vicarage drive, the sound of the farm cart and horses feet,  the thug thug of the saw at the wood yard and the chug chug of the threshing machine nearby.  Her father was headmaster of the old school. His name was Mr Bratram. She left Darrington in 1924 and never forgot she was a "Yorkshire lass!"

She had memories of Darrington Hall as a hospital for wounded soldiers... I include her thoughts on the next page...