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<< Our Photo Pages >> Conyer's Chapel Crosses - Ancient Cross in England in County Durham

Submitted by Anne T on Monday, 20 October 2014  Page Views: 5213

Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: Conyer's Chapel Crosses Alternative Name: Conyer's Chapel Hogback Tombstones, Sockburn Hall
Country: England County: County Durham Type: Ancient Cross
Nearest Town: Darlington  Nearest Village: Neasham
Map Ref: NZ34980711
Latitude: 54.458176N  Longitude: 1.461938W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Anne T visited on 17th Oct 2014 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 5 Conyer's Chapel, near Darlington: Hogbacks and Anglo Saxon Crosses: In reading about the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculptures material for Northumberland, I’ve become more and more excited about trying to visit Sockburn Hall. In order to find out who to contact, I went through English Heritage, who have a web page about Sockburn, who put me in touch with both the Sockburn Hall Project and the owner of Sockburn Hall. He also told me that the neighbours at Sockburn Farm taking their privacy very seriously and there are signs to deter visitors, although there are rights of access to Sockburn Hall and the Chapel. I have to say I was made to feel exceptionally welcome once I'd arrived at the Hall. Conyer’s Chapel is a small, private museum containing the remains of 13 Anglo-Saxon crosses and 9 hogback tombstones plus a small, but impressive (and nationally signficant) stone with runes which was found in the last year. The chapel is the roofed section, and apart from the arches, the only remaining part of the now ruined church of All Saints. It sits less than 100 yards from the more recent (19th century) property of Sockburn Hall. Built into a loop of the River Tees, Sockburn sits on almost an island, making it an enigmatic and ancient place, suspended between County Durham and North Yorkshire. The English Heritage records tell us the history of the area begins in AD780 to 796 when a church at Soccabyrig or Sochasburg) hosted the consecration of a bishop of Lindisfarne and the ordination of an Archbishop of York, meaning it would have been a monastic community. Sockburn then disappeared from the written record following Viking raids in the 9th and 10th centuries, and this history explains the fusion of pagan and Christian imagery on the surviving artefacts. Most impressive was the hogback stone with the two riders carved on it, the rune stone and the large hogback with the ridge missing. I was shocked by the damp and slime within the chapel – in moving the fragments an inch or two to photograph them, I was covered in green slime, cobwebs and insects and this site must surely be at risk. Sockburn Hall sits on the site of the Conyer’s family former mansion (whose distance ancestor was supposed to have fought the famous ‘worm, dragon or fiery flying serpent’) and is privately owned (see ‘The Grey Stone’ entry on the Portal). It is not open to the public, but the Chapel is owned by the Diocese of Durham and the resident of Sockburn Hall is a keyholder for the chapel. Because the chapel contains so many important artefacts, and the Hall and its surrounding lands have so much history, English Heritage have worked with the Diocese of Durham to survey the earthworks and look at the wider archaeological setting. The Hall is about to be sold privately as it needs a lot of money to repair and conserve it.

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : Hogback tombstone dating from the last quarter of the 9th century to first quarter of the 10th century. Shows complex carvings, in the centre of which is a man whose right hand is in the mouth of a beast and with his left around the jaws of another beast. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Ancient crosses and hogback tombstones in County Durham

Conyer’s Chapel is a small, private museum containing the remains of 13 Anglo-Saxon crosses and 9 hogback tombstones plus a small, but impressive stone with runes which was found in the last year.

The Chapel is the only remaining part of the older and now ruined church of All Saints. It sits less than 100 yards from the 19th century property of Sockburn Hall. Built into a loop of the River Tees, Sockburn is almost an island, making it an enigmatic and ancient place, suspended between County Durham and North Yorkshire.

The English Heritage records tell us the history of the area begins in AD780 to 796 when a church at Soccabyrig (also spelled as Sochasburg) hosted the consecration of a bishop of Lindisfarne and the ordination of an Archbishop of York, meaning it would have been a monastic community. Sockburn then disappeared from the written record following Viking raids in the 9th and 10th centuries, and this history explains the fusion of pagan and Christian imagery on the surviving artefacts.

More detail about the artefacts within the chapel can be read on the University of Durham Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculptures web site, too numerous to mention all here. but which includes two cross heads, a hogback stone with two riders carved upon it, a rune stone (found only in the last year) and a large hogback with the ridge missing and carved with figures and beasts on both sides.

Sockburn Hall sits on the site of the Conyer’s family former mansion (whose distance ancestor was supposed to have fought the famous ‘worm, dragon or fiery flying serpent’) and is privately owned (see the The Grey Stone entry on the Portal). It is not open to the public, but the Chapel is owned by the Diocese of Durham and the current resident of Sockburn Hall is a keyholder. Because the chapel contains so many important artefacts, and the Hall and its surrounding lands have so much history, English Heritage have worked with the Diocese of Durham to survey the earthworks and look at the wider archaeological setting. A separate volunteers project, the Sockburn Hall project, exists to save the current Hall and safeguard its history.

The keyholder is happy to host visits to the chapel by appointment. Sockburn Hall is 2.8 miles down Sockburn Lane from the village of Neasham. Once you see the ‘private, no public access' signs, it is at least a mile further down this private driveway to the Hall. Parking for one or two cars is available outside the Hall, then there is about a 50 metre walk across grass from the hall to the chapel.
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Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : This lower part of cross-shaft dates from the second half of the 10th century and shows a deeply carved beast with its head arched back over its back. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : Part of an Anglo-Saxon cross shaft showing a figure of an armed man holding an upright spear above a stag which faces left. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : Three Anglo Saxon cross shafts in Conyer's Chapel at Sockburn Hall. All date from the 10th century. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : The smaller of two Anglo Saxon cross heads in Conyer's Chapel. It dates from the second half of the 10th century. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : The larger of two Anglo Saxon cross heads within Conyer's Chapel. It is thought to be 10th or 11th century in date. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : Part of a hogback tombstone, dated to the late 9th to mid 10th century, showing two horsemen cantering to the right.

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : Hogback tombstone with four strand plain plait. The ridge and the heads and ends of the beasts at either end are missing. Dated to the third quarter of the 10th century.

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : Fragment of hogback tombstone showing the still crisp carving of a beast.

Conyer's Chapel Crosses
Conyer's Chapel Crosses submitted by Anne T : The recently found stone with runic writing on it, stored in the Conyer's Chapel at Sockburn Hall.

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"Conyer's Chapel Crosses" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Conyer's Chapel Crosses by Erisnud on Saturday, 22 July 2023
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We went looking for this chapel on 21st July 2023. Sadly it looks as though access is no longer possible. Does anyone know if the current owners of the hall allow pre arranged visits? It is possible to view the whole of Sockburn peninsula using an Oculus Quest VR headset, which is very interesting to provide information on the positioning of the site.
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Re: Conyer's Chapel Crosses by Anne T on Wednesday, 31 May 2017
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Visitors need to pre-arrange visits with the owner of Sockburn Hall and the Sockburn Hall project is no longer active. At the time of writing, the hall is up for sale so I'm not sure who to contact. The crosses and hogbacks belong to the Diocese of Durham and I understand the hall belongs to Historic England (unless anyone else can help??)
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    Re: Conyer's Chapel Crosses by davidmorgan on Wednesday, 31 May 2017
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    What a lovely old pile.
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Conyer's Chapel Crosses by Anne T on Monday, 05 June 2017
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      The hall was lovely and in glorious countryside, but at the time of my visit in October 2014 it was in very bad repair indeed. The hall deserves a great make-over by who ever buys it.
      [ Reply to This ]

Re: Conyer's Chapel Crosses by Anonymous on Thursday, 17 March 2016
the bottom 2 stones pictured have been stolen
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    Re: Conyer's Chapel Crosses by Anne T on Sunday, 27 March 2016
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    OMG - that's dreadful. The location is pretty remote, but when I visited the chapel was kept locked. I don't understand what motivates someone to do anything like this. Such a shame.
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