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From Carnac to Callanish: Prehistoric Stone Rows, Aubrey Burl

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<< Our Photo Pages >> St Michael and All Angels (Houghton-le-Spring) - Burial Chamber or Dolmen in England in Tyne and Wear

Submitted by Andy B on Monday, 18 February 2008  Page Views: 13735

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: St Michael and All Angels (Houghton-le-Spring)
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 1.664 km away from the location you searched for.

County: Tyne and Wear Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Nearest Town: Houghton-le-Spring
Map Ref: NZ342498
Latitude: 54.841854N  Longitude: 1.468994W
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
2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 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
4

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durhamnature visited This site is in Tyne and Wear, not County Durham.

St Michael and All Angels (Houghton-le-Spring)
St Michael and All Angels (Houghton-le-Spring) submitted by durhamnature : "What lies beneath...." St Michael and All Angels Church Site in City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England (Vote or comment on this photo)
Church containing a possible prehistoric burial cairn in County Durham. Work on a town’s church has revealed that the site may have been used for ritual and worship for thousands of years. Major refurbishment work on the Grade I-listed St Michael and All Angels church in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, began last month and has involved digging up the floor to install a new heating system. The church, dating back to Norman times, is the oldest building in the town.

A carved stone above a tiny doorway, featuring a carving of mysterious intertwined animals known as the Houghton Beasts, may be from before the Norman Conquest.

But investigation by archaeologists as the refurbishment has continued has revealed whinstone boulders under the church, which are thought to have been part of an early prehistoric burial cairn or ritual site. A line of similar boulders has been found under the churchyard wall.

Archaeologist Peter Ryder, of Riding Mill in Northumberland, said: “It looks like a prehistoric site. We can’t think of any other reason why these very large boulders should be inside the church.”

Under the central tower of the church, which was restored in about 1350, the work has uncovered huge Roman stones thought to have come from a Roman temple.

“These are massive and spectacular foundations for the tower, using huge stones which must have come from a major Roman building,” said Peter.

A Roman stone coffin lid has been in the churchyard for many years.

It is believed it was often the practice that important pagan ritual or worship sites were taken over by subsequent religions.

“We have found far more than we ever expected when the work began,” said Peter, who is working alongside Newcastle University’s Archaeological Practice.

Also uncovered has been a maze of mainly 18th Century burial vaults, some brick and some stone, under the church. A number had their tops and bodies removed when Newcastle architect John Dobson carried out remodelling in 1858 – during which, the current work has shown, he re-used medieval timbers from the roof.

Pits of bones from this work have been found and the remains will be reburied.

Several intact vaults have been found in the current work and Peter said: “We have found evidence for at least several dozen vaults.”

There are also signs of a major fire around the time the church was rebuilt in 1330s-40s, probably after a Scottish raid. There is a documentary account of a man having been killed by Scots raiders while hiding in the church belfry.

Another find has been footings of a wall from a late Saxon or early Norman nave. The Rev Derek Newton, associate priest at the church, said the finds would be part of a Houghton heritage centre which will be created in the church as part of the £1m refurbishment project.

“Although the finds have delayed the work slightly, this has been a great adventure and everybody has enjoyed what has been revealed,” he said.

To help raise funds for the heritage centre, people are being invited to make a donation as they contribute items, photographs or writings to a time capsule which will be sealed beneath the new floor.

Source: Journal Live

Lots of photos and news of the excavation on the churches' own web site

Rev'd Derek Newton is no longer Associate Priest and has moved to another Parish. The new Rector is Rev'd Canon Sue Pinnington - contact can be made at the Church Office of St. Michael & All Angels on - 0191 5121769.

Note: Lots of photos and news of the excavation on the churches' own web site, see link on the page
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St Michael and All Angels (Houghton-le-Spring)
St Michael and All Angels (Houghton-le-Spring) submitted by FARMERDODDS : Ancient Roman stone coffin siting at the east end of the church. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
NZ3449 : St. Michael's Church, Houghton-le-Spring by Malc McDonald
by Malc McDonald
©2011(licence)
NZ3449 : St. Michael's Church, Houghton-le-Spring by Malc McDonald
by Malc McDonald
©2013(licence)
NZ3449 : The Broadway, Houghton-le-Spring by Oliver Dixon
by Oliver Dixon
©2007(licence)
NZ3449 : Ordnance Survey Cut Mark by Adrian Dust
by Adrian Dust
©2018(licence)
NZ3449 : War memorial at Houghton-Le-Spring by Trevor Littlewood
by Trevor Littlewood
©2018(licence)

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"St Michael and All Angels (Houghton-le-Spring)" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Neolithic artefacts discovered in church by Anonymous on Monday, 27 April 2009
Please can you update your article - Rev'd Derek Newton is no longer Associate Priest and has moved to another Parish.
The new Rector is Rev'd Canon Sue Pinnington - contact can be made at the Church Office of St. Michael & All Angels on -
0191 5121769.
I am Church Warden and feel it is my responsibility to ensure correct information is contained in articles about our Church.
Many thanks,
Karen
[ Reply to This ]

Neolithic artefacts discovered in church by Anonymous on Wednesday, 27 February 2008
PLANNED repairs to the central heating of a church have uncovered remains suggesting it may have been used as a place of worship in prehistoric times.

Archaeologists now believe the medieval church of St Michaels and All Angels, in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, is on the site of earlier places of worship, possibly dating from the Neolithic period.

Old burial grounds have been unearthed during work by the Archaeology Practice, but it has also revealed foundations of previous churches on the site.

Stones uncovered beneath the church floor are thought to have been part of a Roman building, while there is also evidence of prehistoric activity in the area.

Peter Ryder has led the three-man team carrying out excavations before a major refurbishment, which will include replacing the central heating system and restoration of much of the stonework.

He said the site appears to have been a place of worship long before the existing medieval church was built.

"It's thought the first church here was late Saxon or early Norman, but there's strong evidence of a prehistoric ritual site.

"We've found big boulders, and during earlier work under the church yard, there was a line of stones, which is clearly a significant archaeological feature.

"The boulders are probably prehistoric and there are large blocks of stone from an early structure, which could be Roman.

"I have never seen them in a medieval structure, although a sarcophagus, a stone tomb with a lid, which looks Roman was found under the church yard."

Mr Ryder has led the three-man team of archaeologists carrying out what he calls a "watching brief, not a full dig".

The brief was commissioned by St Michaels' the Parochial Church Council after former Rector, the Reverend Dr Ian Wallis, oversaw plans for a re-ordering of the church. Hundreds of local people attended an open day to view items uncovered in the recent archaeological work, and, such was the response, it was repeated at the weekend.

Further details are available on the parish website, on saint michaels-hls.org.uk

http://www.archaeologynews.org/Link.asp?ID=265432
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