Church Of St Matthew

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE SUMMERHILL STREET NZ 2364 SE (east side) 18/542 Church of St. Matthew 14.6.54 GV II* Parish church. 1877 by R.J. Johnson; tower 1895 by Hicks and Charlewood. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings; roof of plain tiles, with stone gable copings. Tower, nave and choir, with clasping double aisles, the outer ones shorter; sanctuary. Decorated style tower; Perpedicular style elsewhere. Large 5-stage tower has blank first stage under high 5-light window with sill string and hoodmould; smaller windows above and paired 2-light belfry openings. Angle buttresses with offsets; battlemented parapet with crocketed side and corner pinnacles and tall 2-stage open-traceried inner corner pinnacles with wind vanes. West door in north aisle has 2-centred moulded arch on shafts; similar door in west end bay of south aisle. Octagonal turret west of south aisle, buttresses flanking door; battlemented parapet. Square-headed 3-light aisle windows, and 2- light clerestory windows, the latter 2 to a bay defined by pilasters with pinnacles. Roll-moulded aisle and nave parapets; cross finial. Interior, shows varied shades of red sandstone ashlar; blind traceried frieze to arch- braced roof with pendants and bosses. High moulded tower arch on 5 shafts; tower aisle arches similar but lower. Quatrefoil piers to 4-bay nave arcade with moulded arches and capitals (except 2 easternmost which have delicate carved flowers, as has tower arch). Outer arcades of 4 double-chamfered arches springing from octagonal. piers without capitals, as in St. nicholas' and St. Johns.East wall has blind tracery, [as has wide splay of 6-light window; sedilia on south sanctuary wall. Elaboratily-carvedreredosandchancel fittings of 1896 by Hicks and Charlewood in memory of R.J. Johnson: niches and canopied statues of Caen stone. Choir floor of marble inlay; stone choir rail with wrought-iron gates commemorates former vicar, Oliver Churchyard, died 1905. Glass in south aisle commemorates benefactors, L.W. Pearson and wife. Other glass by Kempe in east windows. C14-style font and cover from demolished St. Cuthbert's, Newcastle.

Listing NGR: NZ2383864141