Church Of St Mary

HARTLEPOOL DURHAM STREET NZ 5233 (west side), Headland 8/63 Church of St. Mary 31.3.49

• II

Wrongly shown on O.S. plan as Brougham Street. Roman Catholic Church, 1850, by J.A. Hansom (Preston). Dressed limestone with quoins at angles; Welsh slate roof with terracotta ridge crestings. Early English style. Disoriented, terms used are ritual. Aisled, clearstoried nave, bowed apsidal chancel, north and north-east vestries, south chapel, and west tower from which spire was removed c. 1945. Crypt below chancel now used as chapel. 4-stage tower has clasping buttresses, straight parapet, corbelled out, and vice at north-east angle. Pointed west doorway of 3 moulded orders, the middle order having nook shafts and the inner being trefoil-headed. Figure of Virgin in trefoil-headed gabled niche in west face of 2nd stage; lancets with nook shafts and hoodmoulds, to north and south faces of 2nd stage and in pairs to each face of top stage. Each face of 3rd stage has a cinquefoil. 6-bay nave has paired, chamfered, trefoil headed clearstorey windows. Single lancets, with hoodmoulds and carved stops to aisles and apse. Church interior is painted. Chamfered arcade arches on alternate round and octagonal piers. Coupled-rafter roof with 2 collar beams, wall posts, arched braces and curved angle struts to lower beam. West gallery of 1886. Stained glass to aisle and apse windows by Francis Barnett (York) 1851. Painted stone sedilia with cinquefoil head. Heavily carved and ornamented marble altar with predella, tabernacle and arcaded antependium. Alabaster communion rails and brass gates. Tessellated pavement to centre aisle.

Listing NGR: NZ5278233777