PLEASE NOTE THAT INFORMATION IS BEING ADDED TO THIS SITE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

BREAKING NEWS:  THE GROUP HAVE BEEN ASKED TO HOST THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF CEMETERY FRIENDS AGM IN JUNE 2009.  THIS WILL BE THE BIGGEST EVENT THAT THE FRIENDS HAVE HOSTED AND WILL HOPEFULLY BRING ALOT MORE AWARENESS TO THE SITE.

The group are producing a calendar for 2009.  These can be purchased at a cost of £1.50 plus £1 postage and packing.  Please send further enquiries to Janice at jshort@theoldcem.co.uk The calendars will be despatched before Christmas.

FOLLOWING THE GROUPS AGM WHICH TOOK PLACE ON THURSDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2008 SOME CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.  PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL QUERIES ARE NOW DIRECTED TO JANICE SHORT WHO HAS TAKEN OVER AS SECRETARY OF THE GROUP.  JANICE CAN BE CONTACTED ON jshort@theoldcem.co.uk

Welcome to the website for The Friends of Houghton Hillside Cemetery.  The group are a non religious non profit earning group.  Any funds which are raised are for the benefit of the cemetery and are used to assist in its restoration or events hosted by the group.

Hillside is a cemetery located on the outskirts of Houghton Le Spring and the recently restored Lych Gate can be seen when driving along Houghton Cut on the A690 towards Sunderland.  It is in actual fact not a cemetery but a detached burial ground for St Michaels and All Angels Church however it is more often than not referred to as ’the old cemetery’ 

It was consecrated in 1854 by Rector John Grey after a lot of controversy as the site was initially a quarry.

There had been an outbreak of Cholera in Houghton Le Spring and as the churchyard surrounding St Michael & All Angels Church was full another site had to be found.  Eventually after a lot of debating the Hillside site was consecrated.

Initially the main entrance to the site was through Hillside Farm next door but in 1873 the Lych Gate was built and this became the entrance.  The Lych Gate was damaged due to a road traffic accident in the 1960's, however the Lych Gate and surrounding railings were restored in 2006/7.

Although the site was a split level site, Hillside soon started to fill up and it was found necessary to have an extension which was opened in 1894.  This also coincided with the opening of the Municipal Cemetery on Durham Road in Houghton Le Spring but as the municipal did not at the time have a consecrated area the authorities were forced to extend Hillside.  There were about 7000 burials took place at Hillside.

The last burial took place at Hillside in the 1970’s.  Also when the A690 was built through Houghton Cut in the 1960’s the cemetery  was forgotten about. Sunderland Street where the cemetery is located became a dead end due to the recently built dual carriageway.  Hillside quickly became overgrown and a haven for wildlife.  During the building of the A690 the headstones on the plateau area of the site were bulldozed and plateau levelled.  The stones are supposedly buried in the top left hand corner of the site.  There are over 7000 people buried at Hillside including Rector Grey and Thomas Usherwood Robinson.  Thomas Usherwood Robinson being the main objector in the controversy!  Ironic to think that as he was one of the main objectors he ended up at Hillside.

In December 2003 following a public meeting the Friends of Houghton Hillside Cemetery were formed and since the formation of the group the site is starting to return to its former glory.

So far the group have carried out substantial conservation works within the site and also secured funds which saw the restoration of the Lych Gate and Railings at the entrance.  They have also held their own fund raising events such as their annual open days, a sponsored graveyard gallop and more recently in 2008 a sponsored 10 mile walk.  The walk was undertaken in atrocious weather conditions as it rained from beginning to end but this did not deter the Friends who took part.

Tours of the site are undertaken several times each year and each time are attended by new visitors to the site together with many visitors who support the group year after year.



Pictured above is a view of the Plateau area of the site.  It is one of the most serene, peaceful places around Houghton Le Spring area.  Throughout the year it is a haven for wildlife and in the summer is the home to some rare flowers and other vegitation.



Pictured above is the pathway leading to the site at the top of Sunderland Street. This was once the main throughfare to Sunderland however once the A690 opened Sunderland Street became a dead end.

Sadly, the site has been plagued with vandalism.  At the beginning of 2009 the Standish Vault was once again broken into and more recently the steel plate securing the front of the Elliott Vault has been pulled off.  Numerous times the group have visited the site and discovered lots of rubbish strewn around including beer cans and wine bottles and also the remenents of fires.  One one occassion a tent had been erected on the bottom level!!!!  However, this has not detered the members and they continue with their endeavors to restore the site.

Within this site we do hope you will enjoy reading about the history of Hillside and also the works carried out by the Friends and also the intended work to be carried out.