Photos of Houghton-le-Spring
Old picture postcards of Houghton le Spring and Hetton le Hole
Houghton le Spring: A History
Old photos of Houghton
Vintage views
Houghton Then and Now
Photos of Houghton Rectory Park
The Royal Kepier Grammar School was founded by Bernard Gilpin.

1558 – Bernard Gilpin became Rector of Houghton-le-Spring.
1568 – John Heath, a London Merchant, bought Kepier Hospital in Durham. During his time there he became friends with Bernard Gilpin, Rector of Houghton.
1574 – Kepier School was founded by Gilpin and Heath. The Royal Charter from Elizabeth I was dated April 2nd 1574. Robert Copperthwaite was the first Master. He and all subsequent Masters had to be a graduate of Queen’s College, Oxford.
1583 – Gilpin was knocked down by an ox in Durham Market Place and died shortly afterwards on March 4th 1583.
1594 – George Swalwell, one of Kepier School’s first teachers, and had converted to Catholicism, was martyred.
1933 – The Kepier Library was purchased by Armstrong College (now Newcastle University). The collection consisted of 750 books dating from the 17th and 18th century, as well as 4 incunabula (a book printed, not handwritten, before 1501) and 30 post-incunabula.