British Museum MS Harleian 2118:
Sr Jo Conyers of Storkburn Knt who slew ye monstrous venoms and poysons wiverms Ask or worme which overthrew and Devourd many people in fight, for the scent of poyson was soo strong, that no person was able to abide it, yet he by the providence of God overthrew it and lyes buried at Storkburn before the Conquest, but before he did enterprise it (having but one sonne) he went to the Church in compleat armour and offered up his sonne to the Holy Ghost, which monument is yet to see, and the place where the serpent lay is called Graystone.Keys to the past:
The parish of Sockburn lies to the south of Darlington in a peninsula formed by the River Tees....
All Saints Church lies in ruins within the grounds of Sockburn Hall (rebuilt 1834). The remains of 13th century architecture are still present in various areas such as the western wall and southern arcade. Conyers Chapel (15th century) was enclosed in 1900 as a museum of the remains of the original building. The 10th century Saxon Nave and numerous examples of pre-conquest sculpture are also housed here.
Local traditions record that Sockburn was once the home to a terrible monster called the Sockburn Worm. It terrorised the neighbourhood until was killed by Sir John Conyers, a member of a local noble family. From that day on each new Prince-Bishop of Durham was presented with the sword that killed the worm upon entering their new Bishopric for the first time at Croft on Tees. The recently revived ceremony includes the following presentation speech, traditionally made by the Lord of Sockburn:My Lord Bishop. I hereby present thee with the falchion wherewith the champion Conyers slew the worm, dragon or fiery flying serpent which destroyed man, woman and child; in memory of which the king then reigning gave him the manor of Sockburn, to hold by this tenure, that upon the first entrance of every bishop into the county the falchion should be presented.
