Our Lady And St Oswin Church, Tynemouth
History
Origin
In the early 700s at the latest, Tynemouth Priory had been founded. It was reputedly the burial place of the King of Deira and Christian martyr, Oswine of Deira. The priory began to flourish, but suffered in the 9th century from Viking raids, eventually being abandoned. In 1083, the priory was refounded by a monk from Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey and the bones of Oswin were rediscovered in the town. In 1090, building works took place, the bones were moved to the newly-built church and it became a site of pilgrimage. In 1539, it was dissolved as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the relics were destroyed, and the site was used as a castle.
Foundation
In 1869, a mission was started in Tynemouth. On 15 August 1871, the Feast of the Assumption, a temporary church was opened by Bishop James Chadwick of Hexham and Newcastle on Front Street. The church was named the same as the priory down the road from it.
Construction
At the time of the construction of the church, the priest was Canon George Howe. He worked on getting the church built. On 8 September 1889, the foundation stone was laid. The church was designed by Edward Joseph Hansom and Archibald Matthias Dunn and cost £2,500 to build. The organ was made to Howe's specifications. On 1 June 1890, the church was opened by Bishop Thomas Wilkinson. In 1941, an explosion damaged the church and the presbytery. It was accidentally caused by a sea mine in the castle ditch. In the church, the doors and windows were damaged as well as the roof slates and timbers. The presbytery was damaged so severely that it was demolished, creating the current space open between the church and Front Street.
Parish
The church is in the same parish as St Mary's Church in Cullercoats. There is one school in the parish, St Mary's Primary School. The two churches both have one Sunday Mass each. Our Lady and St Oswin's Church has its Sunday Mass at 9:30 am and St Mary's Church has its Sunday Mass at 11:00 am.
See also
References
- ^ Directory from Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, retrieved 22 December 2024
- ^ "History of Tynemouth Priory and Castle". English Heritage. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
- ^ "Tynemouth - Our Lady and St Oswin". Taking Stock. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
External links
- Media related to Our Lady and St Oswin Church, Tynemouth at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website