"Near these cinerary urns [HER 8] was a short iron knife with a curved handle".

"Near these cinerary urns [HER 8] were discovered two skeletons of a great size". Mitchell also noted that a prehistoric burial had been found on Humbledon Hill in 1750, but gave no reference.

Dredging the River Wear opposite Claxheugh produced a Roman coin, plus large quantities of human bones and deer antlers. The coin is described as bronze, and temp. Trajan. Obv. Bust of Trajan, with inscription: IMPERATORI CAESARI NERVAE TRAIANO OPTIMO AUGUSTO GERMANICO DACICO TRIBUNITIA POTESTATE Rev. Felicitas, with cornucopia and wreath. No inscription. Dated C2.

Dredging the River Wear opposite Claxheugh produced large quantities of human bones and deer antlers, and a Roman coin. Johnson reported on 3 human skulls. He believed 2 to be male, and Roman soldiers, the third probably a young woman, perhaps a slave. The date he gave them was the result of the discovery, also in the dredging, of a Roman coin (HER 19).

In 1872 assorted human and animal bones were dredged from the bed of the River Wear at a depth of 15 - 20 feet below the ordinary level of the river bed at the entrance of Hylton Dene. Some 25 bones were reported on by Embleton who, largely from skulls, identified two humans (one c. 25 years old, the other beyond middle age), small dogs, an old goat, red deer (2 stags, 2 hinds), bos longifrons, and a large whale. The intention at that time was to deposit the collection in Sunderland Museum.

"Human bones, and sometimes entire skeletons, have been frequently discovered on Southwick Hills, half a mile north-west of the village, during the operation of moving the soil or clay, for the purpose of working the limestone. A few years ago, two or three skeletons were found near Mr. Brunton's quarry; and, what is most remarkable, around each of the skulls, as they lay, was placed a circle of limpet shells...as if for ornament". Miket suggests they may have been prehistoric.

In the late C12 Alexander de Hilton made a grant of 3 marks from the mill of Hilton. In 1323 the mill was mentioned in a grant of the endowments of a chantry in the chapel of Hilton, made by Robert Hylton to Robert de Chillingham. The site of the mill is unknown, but if it was a water mill then perhaps it was in Hylton Dene, the lower part of which is included in the above 2 grid squares. "Hylton Mill (Corn)", obviously a windmill, is however shown N of the castle on the 1st ed. O.S. at c. 359 590.

The earliest reference yet found is in a grant by Robert Hilton in 1323 referring, among other things, to the freemen and cotmen of Hilton. In 1347/ 8 the vill of Hilton owed tithes to the church of Monkwearmouth, and there must be many, and much earlier, references of this sort. The vill occurs in C15 grants, e.g. Sir Robert Hilton granted the prior and convent of Durham a place in the vill on which to build a tithe barn, but in 1820 Surtees wrote "There is no village". Fryer's map of 1800 shows buildings on the E side of the S end of Hylton Lane, and perhaps a farm on the S side of the road from Southwick. Field names here, e.g. Town-end field. Present knowledge therefore suggests this as a possible site, - there is no other obvious one. The 1st edition Ordnance Survey map refers to this area as West Town Moor and shows a farm comprising of three ranges around a yard and a horse gin. There is a second farm immediately to the north-east called North Town Moor. By 1896 North Town Moor had gone and a gravel pit had been excavated to the north-east. West Town Moor farm was demolished in 2003.

Earliest known reference is 1157, when Romanus of Hylton obtained permission to appoint a chaplain for his chapel. The Hyltons were later allowed to bury there, leading to the foundation of chantries, and there were 3 chantry priests by 1370. The last recorded chaplain was 1536. Thereafter there were only occasional attempts to keep it in repair, - 18th century and early C19. Roofless, the chapel now consists of a chancel, rebuilt in the early C15, and altered in the late C15/early C16 by the insertion of some windows, blocking of others, and external refacing, and in the mid/late C16 by the addition of two two-storey "transepts". The chapel once had a nave, which was perhaps added at the same time as the "transepts", and demolished in the 18th century when the chancel arch was blocked except for a new door and window.

"A fine gatehouse tower resplendent with a magnificent display of heraldry and with extravagant battlement works". Built by Sir William Hylton in late C14/early C15. Basically rectangular in plan, with octagonal turrets on W buttresses and angles, a broader E turret, bartisans on E angles, machicolations and figures on the merlons, it was 4 storeys high. Central through passage, 2 vaulted rooms on each side, on ground floor. Stair in E turret led to first floor with central hall, which rose to roof, and was flanked at high (N) end by the principal chamber etc., at low end by kitchen etc. Other rooms above, chapel in E turret. Gutted by John Hylton (d. 1712), converted into 3 storeys, given N wing. His son John added S wing, Neo-Gothick porch etc. The castle left the Hyltons in 1746, was later bought by Mrs Bowes, was rescued by Simon Temple in 1812, and in 1863 bought by William Briggs, a Sunderland merchant, and converted yet again. Threatened with demolition, it was taken into guardianship in c. 1950.
A watching brief was undertaken by TWMS in December 1989 to the west of the castle during the construction of a custodian's office with no significant result. In December 1993 a detailed study of Hylton Castle was compiled by TWMS. In June 1994 archaeological work was undertaken by the "Time Team" television programme. Geophysical survey of the grassed areas to the east of the castle revealed another complex of buildings. Excavation showed the building closest to the castle to be a probable medieval feasting hall contemporary with the gatehouse, the other further to the east, a large Elizabethan house. Ploughed out ridge and furrow was identified by the survey to the south-west and an ornamental pond. Raised gardens or a cobbled surface was identified to the west of the castle.
In July 1994 TWMS produced the "Hylton Castle Historic Gardens Project, Research and Restoration Design" report. In November 1994, trial trenching at Cranberry Road west of Hylton Dene revealed no archaeological deposits, although fieldwalking indicated ridge and furrow. A watching brief in November 1994 during the insertion of an interceptor sewer south of the Dene revealed no archaeology. In July 1995 four trenches were excavated south of the castle in advance of the construction of a playground. Two metalled tracks were identified - probably of C19 date and part of the ornamental gardens.
In 1995 TWMS compiled an Earthwork and Documentary Survey of Hylton Castle gardens. This concluded that the easternmost range and terraced garden were post medieval in date. The building was probably never finished as traces of it was sealed beneath C18 and C19 gardens. In November 1995 five evaluation trenches were excavated in advance of the construction of pathways around the castle. The north wall of the north wing of the C18 extension was located along with a brick-lined drain, cobble surface, four pits and the base of a sandstone column. In 1998 Steve Speak and Beric Morley prepared a summary report of recent work at Hylton Castle.
Local residents formed the Friends of Hylton Dene group in 1999 following the interest generated by "Time Team". The gardens and dene have been restored by City of Sunderland and Durham Wildlife Trust. The Friends Group have published a new information leaflet and secured LHI funding to hold an event to raise awareness of their local heritage in May 2003. They funded the completion of an archaeological assessment of the footprint of a proposed new visitor centre and the subsequent excavation of two trial trenches. The trenches failed to find any medieval deposits. They did demonstrate however, that the earthen bank to the south of the gatehouse is manmade and is built of C18 rubble, probably from the north and south wings which were demolished in the 1860s. For more information see www.hyltoncastle.com.
A Heritage Statement by NAA in 2015 identified Hylton Castle as being of exceptional evidential, historic and aesthetic significance. An evaluation in 2015 by NAA found that the foundations of the castle consisted of roughly hewn limestone, with an overall depth of 0.60m. A test pit located within the interior courtyard showed evidence of wall foundations and the possible remains of a dismantled flagstone floor surface, held in a substantial mortar foundation layer. The larger area of excavation largely comprised a rammed earth floor, possibly the bedding for a flagstone surface. This had been cut by later 19th or 12th century interventions. The standing features surviving of some significance comprised the medieval cross-wall and a cobbled surface at the northern end of the quadrant. The date of the latter has not been established but archaeological deposits could be preserved beneath. It is recommended that these features, alongside the other standing features within the castle interior, are preserved in-situ.
In terms of sub-surface archaeological deposits, preservation was found to be poor, indicating that much material had already been lost when the building interior was cleared in the late 20th century. What does survive appears to have been extensively disturbed by a number of intrusive features, likely to be of mid to late 19th century in date. As such, nothing observed during the evaluation would indicate that the archaeological deposits are of such significance to severely limit development or require preservation in-situ. However, some important information was still gleaned from the surviving evidence and it is recommended that archaeological excavation be undertaken across the whole interior of the castle prior to any development work.
The investigation of the basement entrance revealed a flight of steps bordered by two retaining walls leading down to a walled up doorway. This entrance had been sealed during the 1980s or earlier. Upon mechanical removal of part of the door blocking, it was possible to enter the basement and a detailed survey was carried out. This demonstrated that the basement consisted of a series of room linked by a central passageway.
Excavation in the interior of the castle in 2016 by NAA revealed evidence of an early phase of occupation – pre-dating the construction of the gatehouse in the late 14th century. Evidence of this is indicated by a series of foundation cuts through established floor surfaces. These relate to the primary gatehouse walls including the east wall and north wall of the building as well as the internal cross walls. In the south-east chamber a series of post holes were identified, possibly associated with a single structure. In the north-east chamber, a stone feature was observed preserved beneath a concreted cobbled surface. This is believed to be the remains of the entrance to the northern garderobe. Prior to the excavation, no evidence of the garderobe survived above ground, calling into question its existence, despite two late 19th century architectural accounts of the feature.