St Margaret Of Antioch Church, Crossgate

I had such a pleasant surprise on visiting St Margaret of Antioch, as the area has much charm to take in. The mainly Norman Church stands proudly on the higher ground in the Crossgate area of Durham city.

My thanks go to my guide, Peter and to Stephen, who arranged this visit.

Firstly, you may be curious about who St Margaret of Antioch was. She will greet you as she looks down at you from above the North door entrance. Antioch is in Syria near the Turkish border and is where Christianity spread from. Born in the 3rd or 4th century AD, Margaret was the daughter of a pagan priest; like many, she became Christian. You may see icons of her holding her attribute of a shepherd's crook.

Another legend suggests

St Margaret's had a mother church, St Oswald's, which parishioners had to pay towards its upkeep. St Margaret's became an independent parochial chapel in 1431, meaning it could hold weddings and funerals.

Let's have a quick look at the outside. St Margaret of Antioch has exceptional qualities that give it a Grade I listing. It is one of two churches in Durham city to be given this proud badge. The other being St Giles. St Margaret's church dates back to the mid-12th century. The south wall dates to the 14th century, during this period, the south aisle was built. The north side wall (where you enter) is 19th-century, and most of the church is built of square coursed sandstone. I would not have known the South and North walls (not the porch) were built over 500 years apart. They look similar to my untrained eye.

The tower was built in the 15th century and has recently had a bit of TLC, adding to its pleasing patchwork. There are wonderful photographic opportunities to capture St Margaret with Durham Cathedral and Castle.

Now let's go inside. Above the door (Tudor maybe?), there are the Royal Arms of Queen Ann, who reigned from 1702 to 1707. It is said it may date earlier. The emaciated lion gives a grotesque look to this splendid wood carving.

The wooden angel in the corner near the door was possibly from Gloucester and part of an organ ornamentation. The warden at St Margaret's at the time was Mr. Arthur Harrison, who donated it to the church. He was part of the Harrison and Harrison organ builders company, and the organ here is a splendid example of their work. It has 1276 pipes! The carved casing highlights the woodworking skills of Arthur Yockney, who was the headmaster of St Margaret's School. Unfortunately, on my visit, it was shrouded due to repair work.

The hymn board is a nice bit of 19th-century work. For the riff raff, there were squints (technically called a Hagioscope), which were created so that some of the congregation could see the high altar. There could have been a rood obscuring the view to the altar.

Look up, and you will see the roof trusses, which are short king posts (moulded tie beams on brackets). Notice the north aisle arches and roof is higher than the south aisle.

There is a bronze-looking Madonna and Child sculpture, 1993, by local artist Brian Scraton (now deceased). The depiction is removed from the usual Madonna and child looking forward into the room. Instead, you have mother and baby reciprocating love. Peter tells me the Madonna was modelled on the artist's stepdaughter. She once came into the church where the vicar said, 'You look familiar, have you been here before?' She responded that she had not, but the mystery was solved when she was shown the sculpture.

Notice the gargoyle above.

Peter gave a wonderful anecdote regarding the candles in front of the reredos. If they were placed too far back, at some point during a service, the smell of charred wood would permeate the air, and hastily the candle holders would be moved away from the reredos. You can see the scorch marks!

The font is sculpted from Frosterley marble and is purported to date to when the church was first built circa 1150. Frosterley is revered in this area as it is local, and you can see fossils in it.

This church has many memorials, including Bobby Shafto, who is listed as both Lieutenant and Captain.

Another noteworthy person who has a gravestone in the church is Sir John Duck, whom Peter amusingly explains that he was taking a couple on a tour of the church, and when he started to talk about Sir Duck, they laughed, and he said, 'Oh no! I didn't say Donald, did I?' and they replied 'Yes, you did.'

If you are interested in the stained glass windows and the history of St Margarets, there is plenty of information in the guidebook. Donations are also welcome.

I would suggest a lovely loop around this area on a sunny Sunday. Peter has suggested the church may be open after service and close at about 13:00 during the summer months. Take your time to soak up the charming cobbled lanes with views of the Cathedral and Castle, hear the weir in the Wear, and admire the many vistas. My go to parking would be Prince Bishops multi-storey, as you pay on exit and therefore not on a time limit.

Stephen who approached the Fabulous North regarding this church, is also a historian and can be contacted for tours at www.historictoursuk.co.uk.