Our Christian Heritage

There are several churches of significance along the coastline.

Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland

The Holy Trinity Church at Sunderland was opened in 1719 as the church for the newly created Parish of Sunderland. It is a listed building and is one of the oldest buildings in the East End of Sunderland.

St Mary’s Church at Seaham

St Mary’s Church at Seaham is a old Anglo Saxon church has roots thought to date back to the 7th century. Still regularly used for church services and much sought after for weddings, the church is a must for visitors and tourists to the town. The Church is recognised as one of the 20 oldest surviving churches in the whole country.

St Andrews at Dalton-le-Dale

St Andrews dates back to 1150. It is quite possible that a structure was there before this, as inserted in the South West wall is an Anglo Saxon burial stone. This was the age of church building in England following the Norman Conquest and coincides with the building of Durham Cathedral. The church has some rare features including the sundial located above the South Porch. Remember this was a time before clocks and local residents relied on such devices to know when to worship. Inside are effigy’s of Sir William Bowes and his wife Lady Maud who were residents of Dalton Towers.

St Mary the Virgin at Easington Village

See information on St Mary the Virgin

Church of St James

The church of St James is the parish church of Castle Eden. It is dated 1764, though includes earlier medieval masonry in the west end and tower.

The Parish Church of St Hilda, Abbess of Hartlepool

St Hilda’s is the parish church of the Headland. St Hilda came here around 648 AD to take charge of the double monastery of monks and nuns, and later moved to Whitby as the first Abbess there