Blue plaque honours Houghton Feast ox-roasting hero

The plaque has been installed on the gateposts of the rectory on Houghton Broadway

A blue plaque has been unveiled to commemorate a 16th Century clergyman's acts of kindness.

Bernard Gilpin, known as the Apostle of the North, lived in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside, in 1583, and roasted an ox every Sunday to feed the poor.

The tradition lives on in the roast ox sandwiches sold at the Houghton Feast, an annual local fair.

The plaque, also capturing the town's history, has been installed before the week-long event from Friday.

The festival is thought to date back more than 900 years, and the theme this year is a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

It will begin with a community show celebrating her decades of service, and there will also be activities and entertainment from local dance and music groups.

Members of Houghton Feast Steering Group and Coalfield Sunderland Area Councillors took part in the unveiling

The plaque has been installed on the gateposts of the rectory on Houghton Broadway, next to the remnants of the building in which Gilpin lived.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, chair of Houghton Feast Steering Committee, said: "Bernard Gilpin lived in Houghton-le-Spring hundreds of years ago, but we still tell his story and remember his kindness to the community, still roasting an ox in his memory at every Houghton Feast.

"[The plaque] provides the perfect reminder of our heritage in the ancient town of Houghton-le-Spring and ahead of start of this year's centuries-old Houghton feast traditions."