St Michael and All Angels Church

About

We are a Grade 1 listed building, an ancient Parish Church, that has been at the centre of our community for over one thousand years.  We have an award from Visit England as “A Place of Interest”.

We are the last resting place of Rector Bernard Gilpin, The Apostle of the North, renowned preacher, reformer and founder of the Kepier Grammar School, one of the first schools in the north, 1517 - 1583.

A medieval Church on foundations of a previous Anglo Saxon Church whose doorway can be seen through a glass window in the floor.

The large tower foundations are Roman.  Whinstone boulders were found during the 2008 excavations suggesting a Roman Temple and site of Neolithic worship.

There is a fine Grade II listed organ by Harrison and Harrison of Durham.

A very large sculpture of Christ ascending by Fenwick Lawson, a world renowned artist, which is carved from a single Beech tree resides at the entrance to the Gilpin Transept.

We also have many beautiful stained glass windows, the large west window depicting the life of Bernard Gilpin.”

At the present time we are not open for visitors, only for private prayer and public worship, by appointment.  This is in line with Government and Church of England guidelines.