Houghton-le-Spring Hillside Cemetery: A Visit on a Sunny Day
A visit to Houghton-le-Spring's Hillside Cemetery, next to Houghton Cut, on a sunny day in July 2013. Affectionately known to locals as the 'Old Cem', Houghton's Hillside Cemetery was originally known as the 'New Cemetery' when it opened in 1854 following a cholera outbreak the year before.
St Michael & All Angels' churchyard in the centre of Houghton had become full and a new burial ground was needed. The Rector, Rev John Grey, proposed that the new church cemetery be situated on glebe land next to Houghton Cut at the top of Sunderland Street. A public outcry followed as the proposed site had once been a quarry!
Houghton Hillside Cemetery was consecrated on September 4th 1854 by the Bishop of Exeter and over 7,000 burials took place there. Burials dwindled over the years with the last on record being in 1971. The Cemetery was officially closed for new interments in 2005 by Order of the Privy Council.
Houghton Hillside Cemetery in Snow
A walk around Houghton-le-Spring's Hillside Cemetery, which was covered in snow in January 2013.
Affectionately known to locals as the 'Old Cem', Houghton's Hillside Cemetery was originally known as the 'New Cemetery' when it opened in 1854 following a cholera outbreak the year before.
St Michael & All Angels' churchyard in the centre of Houghton had become full and a new burial ground was needed. The Rector, Rev John Grey, proposed that the new church cemetery be situated on glebe land next to Houghton Cut at the top of Sunderland Street. A public outcry followed as the proposed site had once been a quarry!
Houghton Hillside Cemetery was consecrated on September 4th 1854 by the Bishop of Exeter and over 7,000 burials took place there. Burials dwindled over the years with the last on record being in 1971.
The Cemetery was officially closed for new interments in 2005 by Order of the Privy Council.
Find out more about the history of the Cemetery at:
* Please note that the ambiance (birdsong) soundtrack is not authentic and has been added to make the transition between videos clips more smoother. You will therefore hear British birds outside of their usual season.
Houghton Town F.C. - OLIVEO 1 Friendly Football Match in Houghton-le-Spring England
Houghton Town F.C.. - OLIVEO 1 Friendly Football Match in Houghton-le-Spring England. OLIVEO op winter trainingskamp in England. Van Newcastle United to Houghton-le-Springs.
Een dorp met veel voetbalhistorie... Football teams in Houghton-le-Spring - Football was a favourite pastime amongst Houghton's many miners See -
Ton's of pictures will come on and Dutch articles on the clubs site,
A sort of football exchange program. Thank you everyone for the warm welcome! Houghton F.C. - OLIVEO van Pijnacker! Football match in Houghton-le-Spring, England.
Houghton Colliery Site, Houghton-le-Spring
A walk around the former site of Houghton Colliery, Houghton-le-Spring, May 2013. This video shows the present reclaimed site - a large grassed area with the two concrete shaft caps still visible. Word is that the site is to be developed into an ASDA supermarket in the future.
The footage starts at the Grasswell end and finishes at the Newbottle Street side.
Find out more from:
Secret Room: 46A Newbottle Street, Houghton-le-Spring
Local lady, Dianne Gray, recently moved into 46A Newbottle Street, an upper floor flat. She found a mysterious hatch in the floor - and called in Houghton Heritage Society to investigate.
These photographs show the secret mezzanine room that was discovered between 46 and 46A Newbottle Street!
46 Newbottle Street, Houghton-le-Spring (West side)
1914 -- Carter & Co, house furnishers.
1948 -- Hodgson's, electrical engineers.
1954 -- Advert -- Hodgsons, est 1920, electrical, radio and television (address not stated).
1961 -- Advert -- Hodgsons, electrical.
1962 -- Advert - Hodgsons, electrical, radio and television engineers and contractors.
1966 - Sign Post Church Magazine Advert -- Hodgson's Ltd (Property number not give), Tel: 3164, Est. 1919.
1982 -- photo -- Visionhire.
2009 -- Marie Curie Cancer Care (had been there a while).
2013 -- Photo Survey (26/07/13) -- Marie Curie Cancer Care. A door to the right of the shop is numbered as 46A.
The Riani Family, Ice Cream sellers of Houghton-le-Spring (Puccini soundtrack)
Originally known as the Gaiety Temperance Bar, Riani's Cafe and ice cream shop was located at 67 Newbottle Street, Houghton-le-Spring, and was owned by Colombo and Alessandro Riani, two brothers from Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Tuscany.
The shop was open until 1991 and is well remembered by Houghtonians. This short video looks at some of the Riani family members, as well as the shop's frontage, and features annotations for the photographs plus a Puccini soundtrack (Colombo Riani was a friend of Giacomo Puccini).
For further information about the Riani family, visit:
With thanks to all the members of the Riani family who shared photographs.
Ashes to Go 2016 in Houghton-le-Spring
Last year we were the first parish in the North East of England to try ‘Ashes to Go‘ providing people with the opportunity to receive prayer and ashes on their foreheads at the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday right outside on the Broadway in Houghton-le-Spring.
This year we were delighted to welcome Bishop Mark alongside our team on Ash Wednesday 10th February.
We were out on the main street in the town reaching out with the love and forgiveness of God to everyone in Houghton-le-Spring.
We begin Lent by being marked with the sign of the cross in ash as a reminder that we are mortal and that we can do nothing without God.
Lambton Pithead Baths: A Night Time Visit
A night time visit to the old Lambton Pithead Baths on Lambton Lane, Fencehouses, Houghton-le-Spring.
Lambton (swimming) Baths are further down........ these pictures here are of Lambton Pithead Baths, for the miners to get showered in, change of clothing etc.When referring to 'Lambton Baths' there was sometimes confusion as there were two places within a few yards of each other - Lambton Swimming Baths'' often shortened to as 'Lambton Baths'. People travelled from all around the locality as it was a very popular venue. Then there was 'Lambton Pithead Baths' which was again often shortened to 'Lambton Baths' and so causing the confusion.
The Pithead baths was a two storey building - each floor had clean and dirty changing lockers with showers in between. The dirty lockers were closer to the pit. The idea was that after removing their pit clothes and having a shower the workmen changed into their clean clothes and then went home, possibly via the canteen where they could have a cup of tea or coffee or perhaps buy sweets etc. Vice versa when they went to work they could call in at the canteen and buy sweets etc or pies or sandwiches to take underground with them and then remove their clean clothes and walk through to the dirty lockers and change into their pit clothes.
Other pics of the old Pithead Baths can be seen at:
Find our more about our local heritage at:
Lozenge Pill Box, Herrington Hill, Houghton-le-Spring, April 2014
A visit to the WWII lozenge Pill Box on Herrington Hill, Houghton-le-Spring, in April 2014. Find out more about Houghton-le-Spring during the War at:
Two men convicted for the murder of Quyen Ngoc Nguyen
William John McFall and Stephen Unwin have been convicted of the rape and murder of 28-year-old Quyen Ngoc Nguyen.
She was found dead in a burnt out vehicle in Houghton-le-Spring in August 2017 after being held Stephen Unwin's address nearby for four hours.
The pair, who met in prison where they were serving time for murder, have been convicted by a jury of her murder after denying the charges against them.
houghton cheeky girls
dance to cheeky girls
Getaway
This is the second video of mine Houghton-le-spring Maassif!
Newbottle to Houghton-le-Spring: A Journey, February 2013
Newbottle to Houghton-le-Spring: A Journey, February 2013 is a short video clip showing the POV from the X1 bus as it travels from Newbottle, down Newbottle Bank, through Grasswell, along Newbottle Street and ending at Houghton Church.
houghtonlespring.org.uk
fencehouses boys backstreet boxing
the young losers from fencehouses trying to box obvoisly they dont know what they are doing
Super Joan: Houghton Heritage Society's Secretary
Witty trailer for the community Litter Pick - see the full video at:
With thanks to Joan Lambton, Secretary of Houghton Heritage Society.
Houghton le Spring
Houghton le Spring
Aftermath - Snow Drifts At Houghton Le Spring (March, 2018)
The Beast From The East left its mark on the westbound carriageway of the A690, near Houghton Le Spring, Tyne & Wear. The fire brigade attempted to remove overhanging snow drifts so the road could be reopened. All to no avail.
Normal service was resumed a few days later, when most of the snow had thawed. Filmed and photographed on March 5th, 2018.
ashleycorr.com
A Walk to Kepier Hall, Houghton-le-Spring
A short walk from the Broadway up to Kepier Hall, formerlay the Royal Kepier Grammar School, in Houghton-le-Spring, June 2013. On the way we cut through the churchyard of St Michael & All Angels Church, passing the memorial for interred ashes, the vestry and eventually the location of the tomb of Captain Robert Hutton - just before we glimpse at the Davenport and Lilburne Almshouses. We then end at the Kepier Hall.
Ashes to Go 18 Feb 2015 in Houghton-le-Spring with Bishop Paul Butler
Ashes to Go was run for the first time in the small town of Houghton-le-Spring in North East England on Ash Wednesday 2015. This video includes photos from the day and an interview with the bishop of Durham the Rt Rev'd Paul Butler on BBC Radio Newcastle.
A Walk Up Church Street to Houghton Hall, Houghton-le-Spring
A Walk Up Church Street to Houghton Hall, Houghton-le-Spring in June 2013. We start on the corner of Durham Road next to the old Red Lion building and head up Church Street, passing the opening into the doctors surgery, then several historic properties including Lilburn House. We then come to a dead end, where the street was cut in half by the A690 dual-carriageway in 1969/70, so we cross the pedestrian bridge and pick up the other half of the street once we're over the chasm. We then get a good look at the ancient mansion house that is Houghton Hall, formerly the Social Club and YMCA. The walker turns around and travels back down Church Street, into the churchyard, passing Houghton's cenotaph and ending at the archway.