Houghton-le-Spring, Church of St. Michael and All Angels

HER Number:
263

District:
Sunderland

Site Name:
Houghton-le-Spring, Church of St. Michael and All Angels

Place:
Houghton-le-Spring

Map Sheet:
NZ34NW

Class:
Religious Ritual and Funerary

Site Type: Broad:
Church

Site Type: Specific:
Parish Church

General Period:
Medieval

Specific Period:
C12

Form of Evidence:
Extant Building

Description:
A Norman church of the first half of the 12th century existed here - a round-headed window and dorway survive in the north wall of the chancel - but most of the present church is 13th-14th century, of which many features survive. Traces of many later alterations and additions also survive. A "megalithic Roman style sarcophagus" is said to have been situated in the church until the 1960s, when it was moved to the south transcept and then outside the east end of the church. LISTED GRADE 1

Easting:
3418

Northing:
4985

Grid Reference:
NZ34184985

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 263 >> W. Hutchinson, 1787, History of…Durham, II, pp. 538, 540-542 R. Surtees, 1816, History of…Durham, I, opp. Pp. 13, 116, 148, pp. 152-7 R. W. Billings, 1846, Architectural Antiquities of the County of Durham, pp. 46-47 Anon. 1865, Houghton-le-Spring, Archaeologia Aeliana, 2, VI, pp. 186-8 J.R. Boyle, 1892, The County of Durham, pp. 552-559 Rev. J.F. Hodgson, 1907, On some four- and five-lighted north country 'decorated windows', Transactions Architectectural & Archaeological Society of Durham & Northumberland, V (for 1896-1905), pp. 49, 50, 73 Rev. C.E. Adamson, 1913, Houghton-le-Spring,Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, 3, V (for 1911-12), pp. 46-62 C.H.H. Blair, 1929, Medieval Effigies in the County of Durham, Archaeologia Aeliana, 4, VI, pp. 4, 17-18, pl. II.2 C.H.H. Blair, 1935, The Renaissance Heraldry of the County Palatine of Durham, Archaeologia Aeliana, 4, XII, pp. 49-54 N. Pevsner, revised by E. Williamson, 1983, The Buildings of England: County Durham, pp. 329-30 Pers. Comm.C. Hart, 1997, letter re: sarcophagus; Department of National Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 7/18; Peter Ryder and Richard Carlton, 2010, Archaeological Recording at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring, Archaeology County Durham, Issue 5, 2010, pages 55-63; The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2011, North east area of cemetery of St. Michaels and All Angels Church, Houghton-le-Spring - Archaeological Watching Brief; Ryder, P. 2011, Historic Churches of County Durham, p110; The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2008, Church of St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring - Archaeological Watching Brief; Carlton, R and Ryder, P, 2014, 'Excavations at the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Houghton-le-Spring in 2008' in Durham Archaeological Journal,19, 107-32