Churches in Hexham

Hexham has a rich and varied religious heritage, shaped by centuries of faith, conflict, and community.

Hexham Abbey

Hexham Abbey is the heart of the town — visually, historically, and spiritually. Founded in 674 AD when Etheldreda, Queen of Northumbria, granted land to St Wilfrid, Bishop of York, it is one of the oldest continuously used Christian sites in England. Wilfrid's Saxon crypt survives to this day beneath the nave floor. The site was devastated by Viking raids in 875 AD and refounded as an Augustinian priory in 1113. When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1537, the church was retained for parish use — a role it has fulfilled ever since. It is a Grade I listed building and widely regarded as one of the finest medieval churches in northern England. Entry is free.

St Mary's RC Church

For Roman Catholics in Hexham, St Mary's on Burn Brae is their spiritual home. The history of Catholic worship in the area stretches back centuries — local Catholics had been meeting at Dilston Castle and Stonecroft House since the 1600s.

The foundation stone was laid on 22 April 1828 and the church was opened by Bishop Penswick on 22 September 1830. The building was designed in the Gothic Revival style and is a Grade II* listed building. In 1914 the roof fell in; after rebuilding, the church underwent a major refurbishment in 1979, reordered by architect Jack Lynn and re-consecrated by Hugh Lindsay, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.

Methodist and Nonconformist Heritage

Hexham's nonconformist traditions run deep. Trinity Methodist Church on Beaumont Street was formed in 1932 following the national reunion of Wesleyan, Primitive, and United Methodism. The West End Methodist Church opened in 1935. Older chapels included a Primitive Methodist building in Bull Bank (opened 1830) and an Ebenezer Independent chapel with records going back to the 1780s. Most of these older buildings are no longer in religious use, but they remain visible in the townscape.