Houghton-le-Spring Parish Church: The Church Tower

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The tower of St Michael & All Angels Church, Houghton-le-Spring

High & Mighty Views

Vintage drawings and engravings show us that the tower of St Michael & All Angels Church was originally crowned with a spire of sorts. The tower was heightened in 1824 when the octagonal wooden and lead spire was removed. The larger tower, which is three stories and 90 feet high, allowed for a greater number of bells, and a further two were added to the original three. In 1928 a full peal of eight bells was installed.Copyright © Books of the North 2000 - 2008.

In 1885 a new clock was installed to commemorate the Tercentenary anniversary of Bernard Gilpin’s death. The funds were raised by public subscription (see other article).

Recent investigations by archaeologist Peter Ryder during the 2008 reordering of the Church imply that there was an earlier (and substantial) tower, perhaps at the west end of the Norman Church above the nave. Peter suggests that this tower burned down when Black Douglas and his Scottish troops sacked Houghton on their way to Hartlepool in 1319.

The central tower today The external bell tower entrance

It is thought that there was also a central tower, dating from around 1330, which may have fallen down twenty years later leading to the installation of massive reinforced foundations for the present tower in around 1350. Peter said, “The tower foundations are massive and spectacular, huge stones which must have come from a major Roman building.”

Click the photos below for larger, detailed views.

Looking North Looking North, 1950s Looking South

Looking East Looking West

Looking NE Looking SE

Choir singing from tower top, 1950s Another view of the choir

Choir singing from tower top, 1954 Flying the Feast flag, 2004

Late 1000s – Norman invaders would have found St Michael’s to consist of a substantial stone structure. The west tower was erected during this time.

1315 – John Sayer fell from the belfry loft and died.

John Sayer, of Houghton, flying from a party of Scots to the church, climbed for security into that loft, but was
pre-cipitated from thence to the pavement, on which his brains were dashed out. In those days of ecclesiastical
reverence and decorum, divine service was of course suspended, and a commission issued to make the usual
inquiries, and to " reconcile " the church, after the shedding of blood within the sacred walls.

1319 – the nave and west tower of St Michael’s Church burned down when Black Douglas and his Scottish troops sacked Houghton.

c1350 – reinforced foundations were installed following the collapse of the central tower.

The West tower in 1000s The central tower in c1780

1604 – St Michael’s Vestry Book recorded: “Mr Docter Hutton the parson there is contented in his devotion to beare the charge of the floringe of the church…and for the bryngynge of bords for loftinge of the lower lofte of the belhouse so sone as may be.”

1657 – a church clock existed at this time. A Durham clockmaker agreed with the churchwardens to keep it going in good order for seven years at a charge of one noble per annum. It is thought that this old clock was removed during the 1857 restoration work.

1671 – April 25th – it was recorded in St Michael’s Vestry Book that it was ordered that the great bell be re-cast and the bell frames repaired, with the Parish footing the bill.

1824 – the octagonal and wooden spire was removed.

1840 – St Michael’s was described by William Howitt as: “…a large and handsome old church, with a low tower and spire.”

1885 – a new illuminated clock was installed to commemorate the Tercentenary anniversary of Bernard Gilpin’s death. The faculty (permission) was dated December 13th 1884.

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Paul Lanagan wishes to place on record his thanks to the following:

:: Thanks to Rev Ian Wallis for allowing access to the Church tower during Houghton Feast 2004.
:: Thanks to Mary G Randles for a delicious modern photo.
:: Unpublished handouts by Peter Ryder, distributed February 23rd 2008 as part of the watching brief during the reordering of St Michael’s.
:: The Third Friday Book of North Country Sketches by Paul Brown, 1938
:: Thanks to Muriel Staddon and to Chris Morrison for helping to elicit the 1954 image from old cine footage
:: 1315 reference from: "Descriptive And Historical Notices Of Some Remarkable Northumbrian Castles, Churches, And Antiquities With Biographical Notices Of Eminent Persons", 1848.
:: Seventeenth Century Life in the Country Parish, Eleanor Trotter MA, Cambridge University Press, 1919
:: With thanks to Mr JB Clinton for photos. Copyright © Books of the North 2000 - 2008.

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The Gilpin family crest as adopted by Houghton-le-Spring

PAGE UPDATED: 06/11/2011


Choir singing from tower top, 1950s	Another view of the choir


Choir singing from tower top, 1954	Flying the Feast flag, 2004