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, with its historic buildings. mediaeval. The fine early Street, stood the fourth lie waiting in the landscape for Station Road a public park. One of the the sharp-eyed to spot. serving a population which The 300 year-old public oldest gardens in the UK, oak beams in the archway “Lion” tavern: the Red Named after the Holy Well Lion (now solicitors’ grew from 1,000 in 1800 to house the Golden Lion dating from the C12th, this are now covered, but the where monks are thought offices). Pre-Royal Mail, The record of the early 7,000 by 1900. stands at the junction with was once the grounds of massive thickness of its to have rested with the 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. Some others were lost Grade 2). A careful look at the walls Department Store and a Most of Imperial Buildings Boldon Beuk and Church Or the Venerable Bede following redevelopment With a Pele (defensive) reveals early features, number of theatres were the former may have rested here. in the 1970s including the Tower at its mediaeval such as the former long- Surveys. Rapid growth came including the Gaiety in 1911 Robertson’s Brewery The Archway is evidence original ancient Coaching heart, this building was slit ventilation holes, now with the development of deep of an older building on this (later the Grand), the complex. The main Inn, the White Lion, along re-furbished in the C18th. filled-in. The most intact coal-mining in the C19th and site. The nearby Miners’ Essoldo and the Classic. building, “Kings Hall”, was with the London Lending remaining such barn in Welfare Hall (1931) was The Empire Theatre Its most famous Rector, formerly four storeys in the consequent immigration. Library, the Snooker and the North East, it was provided by Union opened in 1912 and the the Apostle of the North, used by the Church for height, with out-buildings Much of Houghton’s history has Subscription to promote Coliseum in 1921. Market Halls and Bernard Gilpin, lived here and stables behind. Houghton’s third “Lion” storing “tithes”, being a left a legacy in stone. See what welfare and recreation. Newbottle Street is now in Tudor times. His cutting tenth of crops collected The complex was G1A 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 connected with narrow- the main shopping street, Sunderland Street. as a tax. Continuous with although Sunderland Street Thorn flourished here for the Barn is the former gauge rails to aid the A Heritage Walk Heritage A used to be more prominent. 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 growing when the climate Ice Cream Parlours, Knot Garden and an sensitively converted to arched stones? What were they have been lost. was milder. 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 The Archway St Michael and Kepier Hall and Church Street Nesham Place Market Place and (b) What is this rock used for? and Nesham Place. Where do you think it came from? Access to the Church of All Angels Church Almshouses Possibly the oldest street Once known as “Quality The Lake This heritage walk was devised by 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 the Friends of Rectory Park with (Listed Grade1) is through and Churchyard are sited on Kepier Hall (Listed Grade some interesting houses houses. C16th Houghton the Market Place, once the information from “Time’s Winged an interesting Archway on the remains of a Mesolithic 2), built of the local named after famous Hall (Listed Grade 2*) site of a mediaeval two-row Chariot” - A Brief History of Houghton- the Broadway. Stone Circle. Beneath the Magnesian Limestone rectors: Gilpin, Lilburn lies at the junction with village (largely replaced le-Spring by John and Sheila Ellis. This used to be located Church lie massive Roman prevalent in the old (Listed Grade 2) and Hall Lane. It was built by with municipal housing in immediately opposite, as stones, possibly the buildings of Houghton. Sancroft. Matthew Hutton, Bishop 1955). To the right lies Kirk To contact us: of Durham. The Friends meet at 7pm on the Second the entrance to the grounds remains of a Temple. Gilpin established the Whilst some buildings now Lea Field, the site of an of the Old Rectory. have commercial use, Among a succession of Tuesday of every month in the The present Church is Kepier Grammar School ancient religious settlement. most remain as private interesting C17th to C19th Community Room, Kepier Hall, at the When the Rectory grounds mostly Norman but with the help of generous The Lake Road is a homes. houses are: rear of St Michael’s Church. became a public park, substantial parts of the endowments by his friend reminder of the Victorian (c) Where is this ancient buildings and the high wall Saxon building remain, as John Heath in 1574. Sancroft House, like the • Houghton House late Boating Lake. It was short- www.houghtonlespringrectorypark.org.uk sarcophagus (stone burial casket)? surrounding it were can be seen through the It continued as a school Old Rectory, is built C18th/early C19th. lived and filled in because [email protected] demolished, but the glass floor section. A fine until 1933. Adjacent to the around the remains of a • The Old Academy it was depriving farmers of Archway was saved. early doorway with entwined Hall are the Lilburn and mediaeval Pele Tower and (formerly Nesham Hall) their water-supply. four later cottages joined C17th. The original To celebrate the Wyverns (two-legged Davenport Almshouses This area was used by the with a unifying frontage in Nesham Hall (now Coronation of HM Queen dragons) can be seen. (Listed Grade 2), both Fairground for the famous Elizabeth II, four Coats of endowed by famous the 1840s. demolished) lay behind The Church contains the Nesham Place. Houghton Feast, one of the Arms were affixed, being imposing tomb of Bernard Rectors. Kepier Cottage The eastern part of oldest annual festivals in the The national charity working to create safe, those of three famous was the school laundry, Church St is accessed • The Old Manor House, attractive, enjoyable streets where people Gilpin (1517-1583) and country (probable pagan Rectors and that of the via a footbridge. Many 1790, built by want to walk. that of Margery Bellasis, and Gilpin House, Church origins). The Fairground Mr Robinson whose See of Durham. (L to R who also gave generously Street was, from 1800, interesting buildings once later moved to the www.livingstreets.org.uk Sancroft, Durham, Gilpin stood here, including the son George later built to the poor. the Headmaster’s house. Rectory Field. Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) the Brewery. Copyright. The authors’ intellectual rights are asserted. and Davenport). C18th Mechanics Institute. 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 Street G10 . bounded by Rectory Park, containing the Old the side of the late C19th brick-built Halliwell was, for much of the C19th, a single row of G 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 4 . Take the second entrance into the Glebe Land to the front. A690. The far side leads to Nesham Place G11 .