St Chad's Church, Bensham

Saint Chad's Church
54°56′57″N1°36′42″W / 54.94929°N 1.61176°W / 54.94929; -1.61176
Location	Rawling Road Bensham Gateshead
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Dedication	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	1903
Architect(s)	William Searle Hicks
Architectural type	Church
Style	Arts and Crafts Decorated / Perpendicular Gothic (revival)
Construction cost	£26,000
Administration
Diocese	Durham
Archdeaconry	Sunderland
Parish	Bensham and Teams
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name	Church of St Chad
Designated	13 January 1983
Reference no.	1277841 [1]

St Chad's Church or Church of St Chad is an Anglican parish church in Bensham, Gateshead and a Grade II* listed building. It is a landmark visible from the East Coast Mainline and combines Arts and Crafts and late English Gothic revival architecture.

History

As of the 1890s, the area around Bensham was mostly rural before quickly urbanising at the turn of the 20th century with the building of Tyneside flats to house workers. Walter James MP provided land for a new church designed by architect William Searle Hicks. The reported cost was £26,000, expensive for the time; the project received funding from Emily Matilda Easton of Nest House and West Layton Manor, ^[2] whose brothers James and Thomas ran Oakwellgate Colliery. His final design before his death in 1902, ^[3] Searle Hicks was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, which he blended with late English Gothic (Decorative and Perpendicular) in his design. Construction began in 1900, and St Chad's was consecrated in 1903. ^[4]

Apropos of its towering proportions, St Chad's earned the nickname "Cathedral for the Working People". ^[3] The parish describes itself as "Liturgically and theologically influenced by the Oxford Movement" and liberal in outlook. It is a member of the Gateshead Deanery, part of Churches Together. ^[5]

In the 1990s, the west end of the nave was sectioned off to be used as a community centre in the form of a Child and Family Project, which had previously been housed in a different building on the site. ^[4]

The church underwent re-roofing repairs in 2016 and 2021. ^{[6] [7]}

Features

St Chad's identifying feature from afar is the octagonal tower in the middle of its cruciform, ^{[3] [8]} which lights up at night and can be viewed from the East Coast Mainline (ECML). The building was constructed using sandstone as well as green Westmorland slates for the roofing. ^[4]

Stained glass

The bespoke silverware on the altar was crafted by William Bainbridge Reynolds. ^[4] St Chad's also features woodcarvings by Ralph Hedley. The stained glass windows are attributed to Caroline Townshend and Laurence Walker ^[9]

References

1. Historic England (13 January 1983). "Church of St Chad (1277841)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
2. "Church of St Chad, Bensham". Co-Curate. Newcastle University. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
3. "Bensham St Chad". Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
4. "St Chad's Bensham: Quinquennial Inspection Report 2024" (PDF). Crosby Granger Architects. 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
5. "Bensham & Teams St Chad: Parish Profile 2023" (PDF). Diocese of Durham. 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
6. Henderson, Tony (5 February 2016). "Landmark church of St Chad's in Gateshead celebrates completion of major reroofing project". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
7. "Church of St Chad, Rawling Road, Gateshead - Gateshead". Historic England. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
8. "Gateshead Churches – Anglican". Pictures of Gateshead. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
9. "St Chad's - Bensham". Our Gateshead. Retrieved 17 January 2025.