St Oswald's Church, Durham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Oswald's Church, Durham
St. Oswald's from Church Street
Location	Church Street, Durham, County Durham, DH1 3DG
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Churchmanship	Traditional
History
Status	Active
Dedication	Oswald of Northumbria
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed
Designated	6 May 1952
Years built	Late 12th century
Administration
Parish	St. Oswald Durham
Deanery	Durham
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Durham
Diocese	Diocese of Durham

St. Oswald's Church is a historic church located in Durham, County Durham. It is a Church of England parish church, meaning it serves the local community. This special building is partly from the 12th century and is recognized as a grade II* listed building, which means it's an important historical site.

History of St. Oswald's

Building Through the Centuries

The church you see today was built in the late 1100s. It's very likely that an even older church stood on this spot before it. Over the years, the church has been updated and rebuilt several times.

In 1834, a man named Ignatius Bonomi helped rebuild parts of the church. Later, in 1864, Hodgson Fowler worked on the tower and the chancel, which is the area near the altar. He also added a special room for the organ.

Beautiful Stained Glass Windows

St. Oswald's Church is famous for its amazing stained glass windows. These windows tell stories and add beautiful colors to the inside of the church. The large window at the west end was made between 1864 and 1866. It was designed by a famous company called Morris & Co. Some parts of this window were even designed by Ford Madox Brown, a well-known artist. Other windows in the church were created by companies like Kempe and Co. and Clayton and Bell.

A Protected Building

Because of its history and special design, St. Oswald's Church was officially named a grade II* listed building on May 6, 1952. This means it's protected and important to preserve for the future.

Fire and Restoration

In 1984, a fire unfortunately damaged the church. The organ and part of the chancel were destroyed. But the community worked hard to fix it! A new organ was built by Peter Collins. It was placed in a new gallery at the back of the church. This new organ was then restored again in 2019, so it sounds wonderful today.

St. Oswald's Today

St. Oswald's Church is an active church that is part of a group called the "Three Saints." This group includes St. Mary's in Shincliffe, St. Mary's in Coxhoe, and St. Helen's in Kelloe. They all belong to the Diocese of Durham, which is a larger church area. For a while, another church group, the Eastern Orthodox Church of St Cuthbert and St Bede, also used St. Oswald's. However, they have now moved to a different location.

People Connected to St. Oswald's

Many interesting people have been part of St. Oswald's Church over the years.

• David Higgins: He was the organist and choirmaster at the church for a long time, from 1974 to 2006.
• Will Todd: This talented pianist and composer was a choirboy at St. Oswald's when David Higgins was the choirmaster.

Important Clergy Members

Some important church leaders have also served at St. Oswald's:

• Anthony Belasyse: He was a vicar at the church in the mid-1500s. He later became an Archdeacon.
• John Bacchus Dykes: He was both the choirmaster and the Vicar of St. Oswald's from 1862 until he passed away in 1876. He is buried in a nearby area that used to be part of the churchyard.
• Mowbray O'Rorke: He served as a curate (a type of assistant priest) here in Durham before he became a Bishop in Africa.