Esh Winning was founded in the 1850s by the Pease family of Darlington in order to service the 'winning' of coal from their newly sunk mine on the Esh estate. They were enlightened owners who supported decent quality housing as well as encouraging religious and sporting pursuits. With a full social and industrial infrastructure the village grew from 25 houses in 1871 to a population of 2190 by 1908. Despite the industrial unrest of 1921 and 1926, there was overall a period of relative prosperity and a strong sense of Community, fostered through a mix of social and sporting activities organised and strongly supported by the Miners' Welfare and the Churches.

The Welfare Hall, funded largely by weekly contributions from pay packets since 1917, was opened in 1923. Designed by a local architect it cost £9500 to build. Though now in parlous condition, it is nevertheless Grade II listed.

The railway closures of the fifties followed by the colliery closure in 1968 left Esh Winning without identity - neither industrial nor rural - and an exodus followed the search for employment. The border nature of the Village, divided between two councils, doubled the difficulty in attracting new enterprises and has to bear much of the blame for the apathy many residents feel. Although new housing has reversed the outward trend, it is doing little to foster a new sense of community since many 'incomers' regard the Village merely as a domitory.