Church of St Thomas The Martyr
Religious Place Newcastle City Centre Tyne And Wear

Church Of St Thomas The Martyr

Religious Place In Newcastle City Centre, Tyne And Wear

A Church without parish dedicated to the murdered Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket

When you venture into Newcastle it is worth seeking out the rich heritage and the area around the Haymarket/Barras Bridge ticks this box. There is so much to explore, the Fabulous North map has loads of ideas. There are museums, monuments, sculptures, art and science.

Here we are going to look at St Thomas the Martyr. It is a distinctive church with a hollow tower and somewhat darkened stonework. I understand it has colloquially been called the Black Church, due to pollution from the burning of coal.

From Wikipedia

'The church is dedicated to St Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in 1170 by a group of four English knights acting - so they mistakenly believed - on the orders of Henry II. Since Becket had defended the privileges of the Church against Henry, he was regarded as a martyr and canonized in 1173. The four murderers were instructed, in order to atone for their sins, to serve a period as confreres (associate brothers) of the Knights Templar, but it is believed that one of them, Hugh de Morville, also elected to found a chapel dedicated to the saint as a private penance. It was this chapel which would eventually become the Church of St Thomas the Martyr. The precise foundation date is uncertain, but probably in the 1170s, and certainly by the early 13th century.'

This church was constructed near the swing bridge on the River Tyne.

In the 19th century, the current church of St Thomas the Martyr was built on the site of a Leprosy hospital founded by Henry I (1068 to 1135). The hospital had religious status and survived the reformation.

James VI of Scotland and I of England (1566 to 1625) combined the hospital and the Church of Thomas the Martyr into one institution under the government of a Master (the incumbent still goes by this name). I believe it is for this reason it is a church without parish and is not a Peculiar (under direct jurisdiction from the monarchy).

Alterations were made in 1770 to beautify the chapel, then in 1771, it was damaged by a great flood. It was left and deteriorated then in 1820 it was to be demolished so the road could be widened.

John Dobson (1787 to 1865) was employed to design the new church and work began in 1827. This was possibly the first church of over 50 that he designed. Created in the Gothic style and has a spectacular hollow tower. It was completed in 1830 and stands proudly, slightly set back from Barra Bridge.

In 1837 the gallery was added and seating was replaced. In 1972 the High Altar was lowered, the chancel screen removed and the chancel extended into the nave. It was given Grade Two listed status in 1954.

It is an Anglican Church with a strong trade and social justice ethos. It advocates fair trade and abolishing developing countries' debt.

It has as Wikipedia states:

'Revitalised and appointed as Resource Church for the Diocese of Newcastle in 2019, with a new minister and staff team, it has now become a popular church for students and young adults.'

It also serves as a semi-official church for the Civic Hall, The Newcastle and Northumberland Universities as they are all close by.

After a successful bid to the Church of England the Diocese of Newcastle gave funds to St Thomas for improvements, along with a remit to increase the congregation The Rev. Ben Doolan took up this challenge, and arrived with a team of 30.

Plans were drawn up in 2019, and the entrance was levelled and given glass doors. The upstairs gallery was enclosed with glass to provide audible privacy as the area can be used for meetings/groups..

Of the renovation Revd Ben Doolan, Master said:

"But we've made sure to repurpose, restore or move material around, so that we retain the important heritage features of this incredible church."

Examples included recycling the pews into new furniture, restoring the resplendent Victorian Minton tiling and re-using the church's old oak panelling in different positions to create two side rooms on the ground-floor.

An exciting new feature is the full-immersion font which was installed in the nave of the church. It is in the shape of a Celtic cross and Ben said at the time

"To get it finished we need to add glass panels with light underneath - which will illuminate the feature. We wanted something that was practical but also a piece of art.”

There are still many traditional features in the church for example the windows and the reredos. Although the organ is in need of renovation and is not used (these days the music is created with guitars and drums). It still is a splendid piece of furniture.

Outside the church, there is plenty more to admire including a statue of St George, the memorial The Response and the gardens are well stocked in summer with colourful blooms.

Please check their website for open hours at St Thomas' Newcastle. You are not far from other delights, so stretch those legs and explore the area.

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How To Find Church of St Thomas The Martyr

Where Is Church of St Thomas The Martyr?

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Lat / Long

54.978183, -1.613092

What three words

proper.loyal.dared

Where To Park For Church of St Thomas The Martyr?

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Lat / Long

54.98236, 54.98236

What three words

give.broom.along

Parking here can be tricky, due to being near the hospital. We chose Claremont Road in this instance. However If you live to the South of the Tyne River I can recommend parking at The Glasshouse which is pretty much guaranteed that you will get parked. Then enjoy a walk through the city

Contributed by Rosalind Parker

Thanks for reading through and getting to the end of this post. I enjoy exploring the Fabulous North (Especially as a Southerner residing up North). I like 'snippets' of information, and more so, if they are obscure, amusing or meaningful. The photographs are taken on a mobile phone, without any enhancements.

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Rosalind Parker

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Church of St Thomas The Martyr was listed in Religious Place // Tyne And Wear // Newcastle City Centre