St Andrew's Church, Newcastle upon Tyne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church, Newcastle upon Tyne |
|
|---|---|
St Andrew's Church, Newcastle upon Tyne
|
|
| 54°58′25.2″N 1°37′7.91″W / 54.973667°N 1.6188639°W | |
| Location | Newgate Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5SS |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | standrewsnewcastle.org.uk |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Newcastle (Central) |
| Archdeaconry | Northumberland |
| Diocese | Diocese of Newcastle |
St Andrew's Church is a very old church in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's a really important historical place. It belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
History of St Andrew's Church
This church has been around for a long time! It was first built in the 1100s. Most of what you see today was built in the 1200s and 1300s. Over the years, parts of the church have been repaired and updated. For example, the front entrance was changed in 1726. More work was done in 1866 by an architect named Fowler to keep the building in good shape.
Right next to the church, you can still see a big part of the old Newcastle town wall. This wall used to protect the city in medieval times. A large gate called the New Gate was also very close to the church until it was taken down in 1823. The street that runs past the church today, Newgate Street, is named after that old gate.
People Buried at St Andrew's
Some famous people from Newcastle were buried here:
- William Bell, a portrait painter, was buried here in 1794.
- Charles Avison, a composer, was buried near the church in 1795.
The Church Organ
St Andrew's Church has a beautiful organ, which is a large musical instrument. The first records of an organ here are from 1783. Since then, the organ has been repaired and improved many times by different companies like Gray, Nicholson, Binns, and Harrison and Harrison. You can find detailed information about the organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Organ Players at St Andrew's
Many talented musicians have played the organ at St Andrew's Church over the centuries. They helped lead the music during church services. Some of the organists include:
- Thomas Hawdon (starting 1783)
- George Barron (1783 - 1787)
- George Carr (1787 - 1790)
- Thomas Wright (1790 - 1796)
- Henry Munro (1796 - 1819)
- James Stimpson (1836 - 1841)
- Samuel Reay (1841 - 1845)
- J.S. Liddle (around 1852)
- Mr. Wish (1864 - ????)
- Thomas Albion Alderson (1867 - 1902)
- Harold Oswald (around 1916)
The Church Bells
In the church tower, there are six large bells. All of these bells were made in 1966 by a company called Mears and Stainbank. The biggest bell weighs about 844 kilograms (which is about 1,860 pounds!). These bells are rung for church services and special events.
