Religious Place In Jesmond Dene, Tyne And Wear
A ruined chapel that was once a popular place for pilgrimages.
If you believe local legends, then after the Norman conquest ended in the 11th century an apparition of the Virgin Mary (most likely holding the baby Jesus) appeared at what is now known as St Mary's Rock - a waterfall next to the mill in Jesmond Dene.
Churches encouraged their congregation to go on pilgrimages to visit the place called Jesmond (meaning Jesus Mound) so in the 12th Century St. Mary's Chapel was built nearby. It was the oldest church in the whole of Newcastle.
Others believed that the chapel housed a holy relic linked to the Virgin Mary. Sacred relics tend to be bones of saints or fragments of the holy cross. This added to the prestige of the chapel.
It was also reported that miracles happened here as well as at the nearby holy well again bringing more visitors. Then in the 14th/15th century the side chapel was built. This side chapel is what still stands today.
Back in the day visitors used to lodge on Pilgrim Street on their way to the chapel.
Get 2 points if you have visited this place. Already visited by 20 VIPs.
Login to the VIP area to add places to your bucket list, mark them as visited and more importantly see where you rank on the league table.
What three words
lung.wage.mash
Lat / Long
54.992629, -1.596322
Show Place On Google Maps
You can park on the street right next to it.
Contributed by Simon Hawkins
Thanks for checking out this place on the Fabulous North! I do enjoy a wander out in to the countryside trying to find hidden gems that not many people know about. You can't beat a rogue Pele tower up a remote hill or a mysterious stone circle or a stunning waterfall secluded in a forest.
A small well linked to the nearby St. Mary's Chapel.
The banqueting hall where Lord Armstrong would entertain his guests.
An old ruined windmill sitting in Armstrong Park.
A ruined 18th century church currently being transformed by the local residents into another place for calm and reflection.
A small well linked to the nearby St. Mary's Chapel.
A field, church and wooden cross marking the Battle Of Heavenfield. A skirmish between Northumbrians and the Welsh in 634AD.
We post all our new places daily on our Facebook Groups page, so join the group today and be notified when we add a new place.