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Local Information for Houghton Le Spring

Houghton-le-Spring is a former mining town in the North-East of England, and part of the City of Sunderland. It is situated between Newbottle, County Durham and Hetton-le-Hole and lies about 8 miles (13 km) to the south west of Sunderland.

The name Houghton (pronounced Horton, or Ho-ton) comes from the Old English hoh meaning hill and tun meaning settlement. In 1311 the village was owned by Albreda widow of Lord Henry Spring, hence the addition of 'le spring'.

The parish church of St Michael and All Angels dates back to Norman times and contains the grave of Bernard Gilpin, known as ‘the Prophet 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.

The A690 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 se...More