Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church located on North Road in Ponteland, dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries. It underwent restorations in 1810, 1851 by Wardle, 1861 by F.R. Wilson, and again in 1881. The church is constructed from squared sandstone and features a Welsh slate roof. It includes a west tower, a nave with aisles and a porch, transepts, and a chancel.

The tower, dating from the 12th century, has a west door with one order of columns and chevron moulding in the arch, along with two small original windows above. There are several other 12th-century windows on the returns, as well as several 14th-century cusped windows. The bell stage was added in the 14th century.

The nave and aisles consist of three bays, with remnants of 12th-century masonry, extended in the 13th century (notably at the west end) and again in the 15th century. The south aisle features two 3-light segmental-headed Perpendicular windows. The south porch, dating from the 13th century, has a slightly pointed doorway and a pointed tunnel vault inside with three chamfered transverse ribs. The north aisle was rebuilt in 1810 using older masonry, and it has low parapets and shallow pitched roofs.

The south transept was rebuilt in the late 15th century and has a Perpendicular east window. The north transept, dating from the 13th century, has its gable rebuilt in the 19th century and features three tall lancets on the north and east sides.

The chancel is a long 13th-century structure with a chamfered sill string that rises to form a hood mould over a segmental priest's door. It contains two original lancets on the north side, with 14th-century Decorated windows elsewhere.

Inside, the church has a 15th-century south arcade with octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches that die into imposts. The north arcade, built in 1810, is similar. The 13th-century chancel arch features re-cut corbels depicting Adam and Eve, with the south side showing Adam before the fall and the north side showing Eve after the fall. The north transept's north windows have shouldered rere-lintels, while the east windows have shouldered rere-arches. There are fragments of 14th-century glass in the chancel window heads and a trefoiled piscina framed with dogtooth.

The church also contains many wall monuments, including those for Richard Newton Ogle from 1794 by Coade, John Dixon from 1716, which is extremely rustic, and Anne Byne and her daughter from 1769, featuring interesting inscriptions.