A "rolled scraper" was found in 1931 near Ryton Ferry, presumably on the south side of the Tyne. Since it was published by Preston it is thought to be prehistoric.

A bronze spearhead, with basal-looped leaf-shaped blade, was found in a gravel bed opposite Ryton Willows in 1899, and exhibited by the Rev. Johnson Baily, rector of Ryton, at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle in June that year. The "midrib has lozenge-shaped cross-section"(2) and there were remains of the wooden shaft in the socket. Length 10 in (253 mm), max. width 2 in (51 mm), length of blade 7.5 in (190 mm). Ryton Willows is a gorse-covered haugh, with its centre at the above grid ref. The findspot was perhaps at the edge of the Tyne, on the north side of the haugh.

Surtees cites one original and one secondary source in support of the existence of a medieval chapel at Heworth. On 8 Feb. 1588 John Aubrey conveyed to Ralph Taylboys of Thornton esq. a close of 3 acres in Heworth called Katherine Close, sometime given by Katherine Fawcett for the celebration of mass for the souls of all the faithful departed within the chapelry of Heworth. And he quotes from the Randall MSS the names of the very few incumbents which occur - 1395, 1633. The chapelry comprised the township of Heworth, and was part of the parish of Jarrow. The chapel itself, "...a foundation not much inferior in antiquity to the parent church of Jarrow", was taken down in 1821 and replaced, probably on the same site. Dated C14th.

There does not seem to be any original source to support the existence of this supposed medieval chapel. Surtees is apparently the first to mention it, saying that St. Anne's Chapel in Winlaton had been destroyed in the rebellion of the earls in 1569, and was - in 1705 - replaced on the same site by another. This in turn fell into decay and in 1816 a large schoolroom was built over it. Dated C16th.

In 1926-27 flooding of the Tyne scoured the S bank near Ryton (nearer Clara Vale) revealing a log-boat (SMR 508) in 1926, and in 1927, 150 yards farther west, a wooden wheel. It lay on gravel, under 16 feet of alluvial sand and clay. The wheel had a hub 15.5 in long, and cylindrical with an external diam of 5.75 in, swelling to 8.5 in at the centre where the 9 spokes were inserted. The spokes were 12.5 in long, and their outer ends were morticed into a felloe 2.5 in wide, the whole wheel having a diam of 38.75 in. The remains of an iron tyre were visible. The consistency of butter, it could not be preserved intact. Piggott suggested it was not later than Roman, and was a product of the Pre- Roman Iron Age tradition.

After the Tyne had been in flood and scoured the S bank near Clara Vale in October 1926 a log-boat was found on a gravel layer beneath 16 feet of alluvial clay. It was flat-bottomed, had a bluntly pointed bow and a squared stern, and had been cut out of a single oak log. Length 9 ft 2in (2.75 m), width 1 ft 10 in (63 cm), draught originally 1 ft 6 in (46 cm) with 1 in (2.5 cm) thick sides. Thought by Dodds to be Iron Age. Heslop suggests that the log boat survived because it was buried in the river bed when it was dry or reduced by seasonal drought and that it was a votive offering in the same tradition as the deposition of metal objects in the preceding Bronze Age.

"In the year 1763, March 11th, as some men were digging in the park, they discovered an urn with a little dust in it, and by going further they found a large stone coffin, in which was a skull with the teeth very fresh, and several bones of a great size. It is not known in what part of the grounds the coffin was found, and it is uncertain what became of it". It is assumed that this was probably a prehistoric burial, the coffin a cist and the urn a BA vessel of some sort. Note SMR 504, a possible barrow in the Park.

In 1952 the O.S. recorded a fern covered mound in Axwell Park, and gave its dimensions as 9.30 m diam E-W, 8.70 m N-S, and 0.80 m high. It was not visible when Young visited it in 1974, and in 1976 the O.S. could not find it, and suggested it had either been removed by quarrying, or was covered by dense undergrowth. In Young's Class C - possible but unproven. Note that what was almost certainly a prehistoric burial with pot (HER 505) was found in Axwell Park in the 18th century - connected?

A polished stone axe was found on Throckley Fell, and donated to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle in 1814. There is no recorded findspot, and it could have been found in Northumberland. NZ 16 NE is perhaps slightly more likely than 16 NW. The grid references suggested by the OS have been omitted as mere guesswork. The axe has been described as 8.5 in (21.4 cm) long, 3 1/8 in (8 cm) broad at the cutting edge, 1.25 in wide at the butt, 1 3/8 in (36 mm) thick, and 1 lb 14 oz in weight. It is said to be chipped on one side of its blade, and perhaps to be of felsite (J.D. Cowen).

The earliest reference is in Boldon Buke (1183 survey of land belonging to the Bishop of Durham, Hugh du Puiset), where Marley (Merleia) is recorded as rendering 1 mark, and attending the great chase with one greyhound, but being free of other services. In the early C14 it was held with Gibside of the See of Durham by homage, fealty, suit of court and 1 mark exchequer rent. In 1384, with the manors of Gibside and Hedley, it left the first Merley family, but in 1415 reverted to the second, who held Gibside (and hence Marley) until 1540. The estate then went via the Blakistons to the Bowes of Streatlam Castle, and so became the property of the Earls of Strathmore. There is no medieval information about the village which is traditionally sited at High Marley Hill, Bourn even suggesting that Marley Hill House was the site of the Merleys' mansion. Dated C12th.