A ONCE forgotten burial ground that divided a community celebrated its 150th anniversary at the weekend.

Hillside Cemetery, at Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, is one of the only burial grounds in England to feature burial vaults in the rock face of the surrounding limestone cliffs.

An open day was held on Saturday as part of events to mark the 150th anniversary of its consecration.

The Friends of Hillside Cemetery, dressed in period costume, gave more than 150 visitors a tour of the cemetery.

A vintage hearse and the newly restored Houghton Colliery banner were also on show.

Paul Lanagan, one of the event organisers, said: "Essentially, the village is rediscovering the cemetery.

"We didn't expect any where near 150 people, so it was a huge success."

The friends group was formed in December last year to further the historical, cultural, and recreational aspects of the disused burial ground.

By 1853, St Michael's churchyard, in the village, was full, so Houghton's Rector, the Reverend John Grey, suggested using a disused quarry at the top of Sunderland Street, which caused uproar among residents.

The village was split into factions for and against the development.

Despite the objections, the plans went ahead with support from several un-named dignitaries, and on September 4, 1854, the Bishop of Exeter consecrated the burial ground.

In 1895, the rector was interred in a vault at the cemetery.

Among those buried there are colliery owner Sir George Elliot Bart, an advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who died in December 1893.

The site became isolated from the village in the 1960s, when the A690 road was built, and was left to fall into ruin.

For further details on the burial ground, visit the website, www.houghton-hillside-cemetery.org.uk