I've lived in Houghton for twelve years now, yet it's only recently that this local site has come to my attention. I never knew of its existance until a few years ago when a story went to print in the Sunderland Echo regarding a gang of youths that had recently vandalised the graveyard, including the opening of a tomb. Many headstones were either felled or smashed during this rampage of sheer mindless vandalism, causing outrage in the local community. I don't know whether the culprits were ever brought to book, but the cemetery was later cleaned of all grafitti and some of the headstones were raised back into position to restore the site to a semblance of normality. 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 slowly returning 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.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. Due to the site being used less and less the Lych Gate soon became overgrown with ivy and other climbing plants. 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 in total 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 even though he was one of the main objectors he ended up at Hillside in the end.A conversation with a
workmate who lives in the nearby village of Fence Houses turned to the subject of Hillside Cemetery. He encouraged me to make a visit with my camera as the cemetary was an interesting place to photograph. I said I would take his advice and get my arse up there, sooner rather than later. Since the conversation I often wondered what this place actually looked like, after hearing tales of this strange place that is situated on a hillside, just five minutes drive from my house. It was by chance that the following day I had my car booked in for its annual MOT test, at a garage just down the road from Hillside Cemetery. Instead of waiting in the garage while my car was being tested I decided to take a walk up to the cemetary and return to collect my car later. I had an hour to kill so off I trudged, up the bank to the main Lych Gate entrance (pictured here - photo one). Walking through the arch I headed along the path towards a plateau next to the cliff face. There were a dozen or so headstones scattered about and a recently erected memorial cross to honour the miners that had died at Houghton Colliery down the years, before its eventual closure in 1981. The place was desolate, just me and my camera phone, walking around this odd place that must have had many a story behind it, unknown to me.As I found myself at the far end of the plateau I stood next to the memorial cross and looked back across the plateau.
It was at this point I thought to myself 'Is this all there is'. It certainly didn't live up to my expectations. I was told there were many gravestones standing up against the cliff face, but I didn't see any. I was about to head back to the entrance of the cemetary when I noticed a break in the trees behind the memorial stone. Intrigued, I walked into the wooded area on a well used path - obviously there was more to Hillside Cemetery than first meets the eye. As I walked into the woods I noticed what looked like a gravestone, then another, and another. By now my mind was working overtime and it suddenly dawned on me that my visit to Hillside Cemetery was only just beginning. I hadn't seen anything yet! What lay ahead was something of completed astonishment - dozens of graves in a completely overgrown wooded area. It was definately a surreal moment, like a scene from the set of a horror movie. I was half expecting some zombie like figure to crawl out from the undergrowth and tell me to get back to the garage, as my car had failed its MOT with four broken coil springs, he he. I've visited some unusual places in my time but nothing like this. And to think, I'd been living on its doorstep for over a decade!The majority of the gravestones were vandalised. Many dated b
ack to early nineteenth century - etchings on some were barely visible through erosion over the passage of time. As I walked further into the site I noticed a large black char mark on the ground, obviously the result of a fire by some locals - maybe even lit during a night time vigil whilst camping, who knows. Rather them than me. Nearby I noticed a blanket sticking out of the earth. I scraped at it with my foot, wondering what lay inside it. Maybe a pet had been buried at this spot. Just then my mobile phone rang loudly - I nearly shat myself!!! Places like this have a habit of hightening your senses and every little sound is heard, like a twig snapping nearby, or did it? Was my mind playing games with me, I wondered. It was broad daylight yet I wasn't having any of it. Call me a pussycat, but you had to be in the thick of this place to realise its ability to unnerve. Another moment to forget was when I kneeled down to brush away leaves on a felled gravestone. I remember reading 'Aged 3 years' as a roosting pigeon in the tree above decided to fly off, making a racket in the process. Again, I missed a heart beat and feared a change of underwear was on the cards if I stayed here any longer. Time to go collect my car!Hillside Cemetery - a place I'll not forget in a hurry. A fascinating place.
I'll be back soon. Thanks for visiting - Ash
