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Houghton-le-Spring People have been living and worshipping in Houghton-le- Spring for some 7,000 years. Evidence of the activities of our G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 Mesolithic ancestors can be seen in the burial mounds on Newbottle Street The Broadway Rectory Park and The Tithe Barn Imperial Buildings G1 the hill and scarp above This fine large red-brick Newbottle Street opens the Old Rectory The Park contains a Tithe On the corner of Imperial Houghton. Knapped flint tools Halliwell Street/ building was once the home out onto The Broadway Since 1949 this has been Barn which is probably Buildings with Church of the Co-operative Society, lie waiting in the landscape for with its historic buildings. a public park. One of the mediaeval. The fine early Street, stood the fourth Station Road serving a population which the sharp-eyed to spot. The 300 year-old public oldest gardens in the UK, oak beams in the archway “Lion” tavern: the Red Named after the Holy Well grew from 1,000 in 1800 to Lion (now solicitors’ house the Golden Lion dating from the C12th, this are now covered, but the where monks are thought 7,000 by 1900. offices). Pre-Royal Mail, The record of the early to have rested with the stands at the junction with was once the grounds of massive thickness of its post was collected from development of the mediaeval body of St Cuthbert on Newbottle Street also used Sunderland Street. the Old Rectory (Listed walls are still in evidence. to boast Gammie’s here. settlement can be found in the their way to Durham. Grade 2). A careful look at the walls Or the Venerable Bede Department Store and a Some others were lost Most of Imperial Buildings Boldon Beuk and Church number of theatres following redevelopment With a Pele (defensive) reveals early features, may have rested here. such as the former long- were the former Surveys. Rapid growth came The Archway is evidence including the Gaiety in 1911 in the 1970s including the Tower at its mediaeval slit ventilation holes, now Robertson’s Brewery with the development of deep of an older building on this (later the Grand), the original ancient Coaching heart, this building was complex. The main site. The nearby Miners’ Essoldo and the Classic. Inn, the White Lion, along re-furbished in the C18th. filled-in. The most intact building, “Kings Hall”, was coal-mining in the C19th and remaining such barn in Welfare Hall (1931) was The Empire Theatre with the London Lending Its most famous Rector, formerly four storeys in the consequent immigration. opened in 1912 and the the North East, it was provided by Union Library, the Snooker and the Apostle of the North, height, with out-buildings Subscription to promote Coliseum in 1921. used by the Church for Much of Houghton’s history has Market Halls and Bernard Gilpin, lived here and stables behind. welfare and recreation. Newbottle Street is now Houghton’s third “Lion” storing “tithes”, being a left a legacy in stone. See what in Tudor times. His cutting tenth of crops collected The complex was

G1A the main shopping street, tavern, the Black Lion, in from the Glastonbury you can discover. On the trail of a Legacy in Brick and Stone and Brick in Legacy a of trail the On although Sunderland Street as a tax. Continuous with connected with narrow- Sunderland Street. Thorn flourished here for

used to be more prominent the Barn is the former gauge rails to aid the

A Heritage Walk Heritage A . Vine Place next to the 400 years. Glebe (Church) Farm production line.

Most of the old family “Brittannia” is an early On the Trail of the Romans Houghton-le-Spring The Park also contains (Listed Grade 2), now a The imposing former businesses, including the place name from grape- the remains of a Tudor dental surgery. Malting House has been (a) Where can you find these Ice Cream Parlours, growing when the climate Knot Garden and an sensitively converted to have been lost. was milder. arched stones? What were they unusual fountain. Apartments. used for?

This walk was developed with the support of Sunderland City Council through its Strategic Initiatives Budget. The walk starts at the junction of Halliwell Street and Station Road. From its junction with Station Road, the main shopping area of Newbottle Street leads to Houghton’s two G7 G8 G9 G10 G11 G12 Conservation Areas of St Michael’s (b) What is this rock used for? and Nesham Place. The Archway St Michael and Kepier Hall and Church Street Nesham Place Market Place and Where do you think it came from? This heritage walk was devised by Access to the Church of All Angels Church Almshouses Possibly the oldest street Once known as “Quality The Lake the Friends of Rectory Park with St Michael and All Angels The Church (Listed Grade 1)Behind the Church lies in Houghton, it contains Hill” because of its fine Beyond Nesham Place lies information from “Time’s Winged (Listed Grade1) is through and Churchyard are sited onKepier Hall (Listed Grade some interesting houses houses. C16th Houghton the Market Place, once the an interesting Archway on Chariot” - A Brief History of Houghton- the remains of a Mesolithic 2), built of the local named after famous Hall (Listed Grade 2*) site of a mediaeval two-row the Broadway. le-Spring by John and Sheila Ellis. Stone Circle. Beneath the Magnesian Limestone rectors: Gilpin, Lilburn lies at the junction with village (largely replaced (Listed Grade 2) and This used to be located Church lie massive Roman prevalent in the old Hall Lane. It was built by with municipal housing in To contact us: Sancroft. immediately opposite, as stones, possibly the buildings of Houghton. Matthew Hutton, Bishop 1955). To the right lies Kirk The Friends meet at 7pm on the Second the entrance to the grounds remains of a Temple. Whilst some buildings now of Durham. Lea Field, the site of an Tuesday of every month in the of the Old Rectory. Gilpin established the The present Church is have commercial use, Among a succession of ancient religious settlement. Community Room, Kepier Hall, at the When the Rectory grounds Kepier Grammar School most remain as private rear of St Michael’s Church. mostly Norman but with the help of generous interesting C17th to C19th The Lake Road is a became a public park, homes. houses are: reminder of the Victorian substantial parts of the endowments by his friend buildings and the high wall Saxon building remain, as Boating Lake. It was short- (c) Where is this ancient John Heath in 1574. Sancroft House, like the • Houghton House late www.houghtonlespringrectorypark.org.uk surrounding it were can be seen through the lived and filled in because sarcophagus (stone burial casket)? It continued as a school Old Rectory, is built C18th/early C19th. demolished, but the glass floor section. A fine around the remains of a it was depriving farmers of [email protected] until 1933. Adjacent to the • The Old Academy Archway was saved. mediaeval Pele Tower and their water-supply. early doorway with entwined Hall are the Lilburn and (formerly Nesham Hall) To celebrate the four later cottages joined This area was used by the Wyverns (two-legged Davenport Almshouses C17th. The original Coronation of HM Queen with a unifying frontage in Fairground for the famous dragons) can be seen. (Listed Grade 2), both Nesham Hall (now Elizabeth II, four Coats of the 1840s. Houghton Feast, one of the Arms were affixed, being The Church contains the endowed by famous demolished) lay behind The eastern part of oldest annual festivals in the those of three famous imposing tomb of Bernard Rectors. Kepier Cottage Nesham Place. The national charity working to create safe, Church St is accessed country (probable pagan Rectors and that of the Gilpin (1517-1583) and was the school laundry, • The Old Manor House, origins). The Fairground attractive, enjoyable streets where people See of Durham. (L to R via a footbridge. Many that of Margery Bellasis, and Gilpin House, Church 1790, built by later moved to the want to walk. Sancroft, Durham, Gilpin interesting buildings once who also gave generously Street was, from 1800, Mr Robinson whose Rectory Field www.livingstreets.org.uk and Davenport). stood here, including the son George later built to the poor. the Headmaster’s house. . Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) C18th Mechanics Institute the Brewery. Copyright. The authors’ intellectual rights are asserted. . Map Walk directions from 1814, whereas Empire House, now a right is the narrow ancient lane, Vine Place. pillars. Turn left and ahead you will see the Almshouses G9 . Returning past the Almshouses, carpet shop (originally a cinema) was built 100 short commercial row of Imperial Buildings G6 at the corner of the Churchyard you will find Start at Halliwell Street G1 . The stone arch is at years later. The now-busy Newbottle Street The right hand side of the Broadway is with the former Malting House to the right. Note steps leading down into Church StreetG10 . the side of the late C19th brick-built Halliwell was, for much of the C19th, a single row of bounded by Rectory Park, containing the Old the jumble of different stages of building, with The footbridge at the eastern end crosses the House. There is no public evidence of the shops looking out towards fields. Continue to Rectory G4 . Take the second entrance into the Glebe Land to the front. A690. The far side leads to Nesham PlaceG11 . famous Holy Well. The short streets are typical the end of the street and you will see on your Park. To your left is an unusual fountain and to the A short walk down the hill brings you to the Market miners’ cottages. The Miners’ Welfare Hall G1A, right the old Co-operative Store G2 - an right, the Old Rectory. It is worth walking around Across the Broadway you will see the Archway Place G12 . Turn left into Lake Road. After the Station Road. excellent example of how to “discover” buildings this building to see surviving early architecture. G7 . Access to the Church of St Michael and Business Centre turn left up the footpath to rejoin in commercial centres: Look Up! Take a walk around the Park and you will see All Angels G8 is through the Archway. The ancient the Church Street footbridge. This is the conclusion Walk back up Station Road to its junction with features of interest in the ancient walls. Church is well-worth exploring, both inside and

Newbottle Street and turn right. Walk past the Ahead of you are the leafy environs of the of the Walk.

out. It is open most days from 11am to 1pm. Angels. All and Michael St of Church the of end east the of rear the To (c)

Library towards the south. The left hand side Broadway G3 . To the left are the remains of Returning towards the Rectory, you will see the WWII. after Rome

(b) It is a fountain. The rock is travertine (or tufa) brought back from the Tiber Valley near Valley Tiber the from back brought tufa) (or travertine is rock The fountain. a is It (b) development of the street is older than the right. once-thriving Sunderland Street, much of which Tithe Barn G5 and Glebe Farm. Turn right and When you exit the Church, turn left and walk up for! used were they what just knows no-one but - stones Roman re-used be may These (a)

The building now used by “Domino’s” dates was lost following 1970s development. To the exit the Park through a gateway with stone the pathway. You will see the Kepier Hall and Trail: Roman to Answers

HALLIWE CRO

IR S O Halliwell S ST N Car SID BR E IN Park LL S S 0 50 100m KB Street TR UR E N C ET RE T D 0 50 100yd

S A H CE RO Car E

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ST U IN G S Library TR Digital Cartography by Pindar Creative 01296 390100 Car H E T

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T A E EE T STR R T REY E H G E G T R GRAVEL A N G E WALKS

EET STR EELER A WH 18 P 2 O T B T Site of U N E R E R the Lake N Y

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R B A LA Market Place

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OAD T D E D N T D A L PARK R ET D E N E E A R S L BURN ST T NS R R M CE KE E E ARKET PLA C E D DI T Newbottle Street N U Co-operative Society S Church of Kepier Hall and Nesham Place St Michael Almshouses and All Angels CE PLA T HAM H NES ET Rectory Park E

THORNHILL STRE The Broadway B Kirk Lea Field R

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A Rectory Field The Old Rectory W N L T Key A L P A Y L

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WalkingT route - road The Tithe Barn Church Street NE D Walking route - footpath Y LA U AIR R D H

Walk takes approx. 1 hour 15 minutes M

R E DAI O U RY LANE AVEN Allow 20 mins extra to tour church A A LLY 1052 Imperial 0 HO D 9 (open most days 11am to 1pm) 6 Buildings A Approximately ¼ mile in 5 mins