Many years ago, before William the Conqueror brought his Norman hordes across the channel to our land, the Lord of the Manor of Sockburn (near Neasham) fought a tremendous battle. For many years, their lands had been terrorised by a fearsome dragon with a foul and deadly breath. One day, the knight took his great sword or falchion and rode out to destroy the dragon. After a hard battle, the beast lay dead and Sir John Conyers marked his grave with a great, grey stone, which is there to this day. When the officers of William I were distributing their favours to those powerful men in the North who they hoped would support the Norman cause, they were presented with the story of Sir John and the dragon. They decided that here was a suitable family to support the new king and Roger Conyers became Constable of Durham Castle.

The great sword of the Conyers family became a symbol of power and was presented to each new Prince Bishop of Durham as he entered the County to take up his bishopric. The Bishop was met at Sockburn, or at Neasham Ford, by the gentry of the county. Here, with due ceremony, he was presented with the falchion, in memory of the slaying of the dragon and the symbolic conquering of evil. He then proceeded to his castle at Bishop Auckland. The last Conyers died in 1810 and now it is the Mayor of Darlington who presents the sword to any new Bishop of Durham. The ceremony takes place on Croft Bridge and in between times, the great blade rests in the Treasury at Durham Cathedral, where it can be seen along with the other symbols of power.

(Article by permission of Jean Kendall, Editor of Rockliffe Roundup, 1993)