Hexham Abbey

About Hexham Abbey

Hexham Abbey is a Grade I listed church whose origins reach back to around 674 AD, when St Wilfrid, the first native-born Saxon Bishop of York, founded a monastery here on an estate granted by Queen Etheldreda of Northumbria. Its most remarkable survival is the Anglo-Saxon crypt, the only part of Wilfrid's original church to remain intact after more than 1,300 years and built partly from Roman stone recycled from the bridge at nearby Corbridge. The Abbey also holds the frith stool, an ancient stone chair once used as a place of sanctuary; England's only comparable example is at Beverley Minster. The priory was dissolved by Henry VIII, but the church survived as Hexham's parish church.

Today the Abbey is an active parish church and a vibrant centre for worship, heritage and community life, open daily with free entry and welcoming visitors to explore its architecture and history. A visitor centre opened in 2014 houses The Big Story exhibition, alongside a Refectory café serving home-made refreshments and a gift shop. The Abbey's spacious interior stages a varied programme of concerts, exhibitions and cultural events through the year, including seasonal carol services, supported by its choirs and parish groups.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature Hexham Abbey.

Christmas Lights Switch-On in Hexham 2026

Hexham's Christmas lights go on on Friday 20 November 2026, organised by Hexham Town Council. What has been confirmed so far, where to stand, how to get there and what else is on that weekend.

Hexham and District Music Society Marks 75 Years with a New Concert Season

Hexham's classical music society celebrates its 75th anniversary with six concerts at Queen's Hall and Hexham Abbey, opening with clarinettist Emma Johnson on 20 October.

Christmas Markets in Hexham

Hexham Abbey Christmas Fair is on Saturday 12 December 2026, 9am to 3pm, with hundreds of stalls indoors and out, and the Farmers' Market falls on the same morning. A guide to the town's festive market weekends.

Bonfire Night in Hexham

Hexham's free fireworks display is on The Sele on Saturday 7 November, with a samba band beforehand. One thing to know first: there is no longer a bonfire.

Hexham in World War Two

How a Tyne Valley market town lived through the Second World War, from evacuees off bomb-blasted Tyneside and the wounded of Dunkirk arriving at the emergency hospital to the Home Guard, the home front and the tragedies that touched Tynedale.

Family Activities in Hexham: Days Out with the Kids

The best family days out in Hexham, from The Sele park and the Abbey Grounds to swimming and soft play at Wentworth, the Old Gaol museum and a family day at the races, grouped so you can plan around the weather.

Date Night in Hexham: Restaurants, Bars and Things to Do

Where to eat, drink and wander for a romantic evening in Hexham, from French bistro dining and a Top 50 gastropub to real-ale pubs, live music and a walk round the Abbey Grounds.

The History of Hexham's Shopping Streets

How Hexham's shopping quarter grew from Saxon hamlets into a busy market town. The story of the Market Place and Shambles, Fore Street, Priestpopple, Battle Hill, Hencotes and St Mary's Chare.

Interesting Facts About Hexham

From England's oldest purpose-built prison and a 1,300-year-old Saxon crypt to a bloody militia riot, a glove-making boom and one of the country's most scenic racecourses, here are the stories that make Hexham so distinctive.

Hexham Abbey Festival to Crown the Abbey's 1,350th Anniversary Year

The Hexham Abbey Festival of Music and Arts returns from 26 to 29 September, the centrepiece of a year marking 1,350 years since the Abbey's foundation in 674 AD, with around 200 schoolchildren and Haydn's The Creation.

Hexham on Screen: Film and TV Locations

From the lost Sycamore Gap tree of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves to Vera on the Shambles, a guide to the film and television made along the Wall and in Hexham.

Halloween in Hexham

England's oldest purpose-built prison, a genuinely eerie local mystery in the Hexham Heads, and a big Tyne Valley pumpkin patch: Halloween in Hexham.

Best Wedding Venues in Hexham

From a genuine medieval castle to a 1,300-year-old abbey and grand country-house hotels, some of the most memorable wedding venues in the North East.

Fratelli to Bring Italian and Sardinian Dining to Beaumont Street, Opposite the Abbey

The family behind Ponteland's long-running Fratelli is opening an Italian and Sardinian restaurant in the former Hexham Courant offices on Beaumont Street, directly across from the Abbey.

Glaston Abbey 2026: A Glastonbury Weekend Comes to Hexham Abbey

With Glastonbury on a fallow year, Hexham Abbey's cloister lawn hosts two nights of tribute acts and local talent on 31 July and 1 August, from Fleetwood Mac and Gerry Cinnamon to the Arctic Monkeys and Oasis.

Hexham Abbey's 'Hope and Resilience' Exhibition Marks the Somme's 110th Anniversary

A volunteer-led exhibition at Hexham Abbey tells the First World War stories of local families, the 4th Northumberland Fusiliers and Tynedale's home front, and will live on as a permanent digital archive.

Hexham Abbey Wins £138,000 Lottery Grant to Conserve Its Medieval Treasures

Hexham Abbey has secured £138,088 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop plans for conserving its medieval panel paintings and grave covers.

Things to Do in Hexham: The Complete Guide

Hexham Abbey, the Old Gaol, Queen's Hall, Hadrian's Wall day trips, country walks, and a thriving market, everything worth doing in this historic Northumberland market town.

A Family Weekend in Hexham

Sele Park, the Abbey, Wentworth soft play, Allen Banks, and ice cream, a 48-hour family itinerary.

Local Museums and Archives Near Hexham

The Old Gaol, the Abbey's Big Story, Chesters Roman Fort, Vindolanda, and Corbridge, museums within easy reach of Hexham.

Historic Trades and Crafts of Hexham

Leather tanning, the Hexham Tans glove trade, Fentimans botanical brewery, corn milling, and the railway.

Volunteer Groups in Hexham

Team Hexham, the Community Centre, Hexham Abbey, the RSPCA, and Northumberland National Park, how to volunteer.

Best Wedding Venues Near Hexham

A 14th-century castle, a Victorian townhouse hotel, a medieval abbey, and a restored railway station.

Photography Spots in Hexham

From the Abbey at sunrise to Hadrian's Wall crags at golden hour, the best photography locations in and around Hexham.

A Rainy Day in Hexham

The Abbey, the Old Gaol, Queen's Hall cinema, soft play, bowling, and the best cafes, what to do when it rains.

Weekend in Hexham, 48-Hour Itinerary

Hexham Abbey, Allen Banks, Hadrian's Wall, and dinner at a Top 50 gastropub, how to make the most of 48 hours.

Summer Holiday Activities in Hexham

Swimming, holiday clubs, Allen Banks, the Abbey, racecourse family days, and the library reading challenge, everything you need to fill six weeks of summer in Hexham.

Churches in Hexham

From a 7th-century abbey to a Gothic Revival Catholic church, a guide to the places of worship in Hexham.

Hexham's Market: 800 Years of Trade

A market charter from 1239, the Grade II* Shambles, and a twice-monthly farmers' market, the story of Hexham's 800-year trading tradition.

Heritage Walking Trail: A Self-Guided Tour of Hexham

A 2-mile loop through 1,350 years of history, Hexham Abbey, the Market Place, Moot Hall, Old Gaol, and Sele Park in 90 minutes.

Hadrian's Wall from Hexham: A Visitor's Guide

Chesters, Vindolanda, Housesteads, and Corbridge, a practical guide to visiting Hadrian's Wall sites from Hexham.

Hexham Abbey: The Complete Guide

A 1,350-year-old Saxon crypt, the Frith Stool, Acca's Cross, the Night Stair, and Dance of Death panels, everything you need to know about visiting Hexham Abbey.

History of Hexham

From St Wilfrid's Saxon abbey to the Border Reivers, the Battle of Hexham, and the arrival of the railway, 1,300 years of history.

Free Things to Do in Hexham

Hexham Abbey, Sele Park, Tyne Green, the heritage trail, and Allen Banks, a full day out in Hexham without spending a penny on entry fees.

Best Walks from Hexham

Riverside trails, ancient woodland, Hadrian's Wall ridge walks, and a wild daffodil wood, the best walks from Hexham for every ability.

Moving to Hexham: The Complete Guide

House prices, schools, transport links, healthcare, and community life, everything you need to know about moving to this award-winning Northumberland market town.

Past Events

Recent events connected to Hexham Abbey.