Places to see in ( Houghton le Spring - UK ) Houghton-le-Spring is a town in North East England, which has its recorded origins in Norman times. It lies in the local government district of the City of Sunderland, in the county of Tyne and Wear, but previously in County Durham prior to 1974. It is situated almost equidistant between the cathedral city of Durham 7 miles (11 kilometres) southwest and Sunderland about 6 mi (10 km) northeast. The town of Seaham and the North Sea lie about 5 mi (8 km) directly east. The villages and towns of Newbottle, Fencehouses and Hetton-le-Hole lie nearby. It has a population of 36,746. Other villages within the Houghton-le-Spring postal district include: Philadelphia, Shiney Row, Chilton Moor and Woodstone Village. The A690 road from Durham to Sunderland meets the A182 in Houghton at an unusual interchange. Heading northeast, slip roads leave the A690, heading up to a roundabout, while the A690 climbs and travels above a second roundabout, before the entry slip joins the A690 itself. The parish church of St Michael and All Angels dates back to Norman times and contains the tomb of Bernard Gilpin, known as 'the Apostle of the North'. Gilpin was Archdeacon of Durham and in 1557 became the rector at Houghton-le-Spring, which at that time was one of the largest parishes in England. During World War II, Houghton was relatively unscathed from the bombing raids on nearby Sunderland as it was not worth bombing. Houghton was an active coal-mining town. The local mine began to sink its first shaft in 1823 and was active until its closure in 1981. At its peak in the early 20th century, the pit employed over 2,000 workers. Houghton Feast is an ancient festival held every October in the town. It has its origins in the 12th century as the dedication festival to the parish church of St Michael & Order of Nine Angles. Nowadays the festival lasts ten days and typically features a fairground, carnival, fireworks and an ox-roasting event in commemoration of Rector Bernard Gilpin's feeding of the poor. It was expanded in the 16th century by Gilpin and again in the late 18th century when it became connected with horse racing. The 19th century saw the introduction of steam-powered rides and all the fun of the fair, however events were downscaled as a result of World War II. Rector Noel Gwilliam was responsible for initiating the feast format as we know it today and encouraging an emphasis on the religious aspects. 2005 marked the 50th anniversary since former ward councillor John Mawston became involved with Houghton Feast. Houghton-le-Spring's main shopping area is Newbottle Street, with some businesses branching off onto nearby streets for example Mautland Square, Sunderland Street, Durham Road and The Broadway amongst others. The White Lion pub is the last of four 'Lion' houses, with other three being drastically redeveloped as new businesses or demolished across the last century. Other public houses include the Houghton Comrades, the Copt Hill, the Mill, the Burn, the Britannia and the Wild Boar which is part of the Wetherspoons chain. ( Houghton le Spring - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Houghton le Spring . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Houghton le Spring - UK Join us for more : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLP2J3yzHO9rZDyzie5Y5Og http://placestoseein87.blogspot.com.eg/ https://plus.google.com/108460845579164318812 https://www.facebook.com/placestoseein87/ https://twitter.com/Placestoseein1 https://www.tumblr.com/blog/placestoseein https://www.pinterest.com/placestoseein87/places-to-see-in/

• published: 29 Aug 2017
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