St John the Evangelist's Church, Darlington is a Grade II listed former

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

church on Neasham Road, Darlington, County Durham.

History

The church was designed by John Middleton and built between 1847 and 1849. The foundation stone was laid on 10 September 1847 by

George Hudson George Hudson (probably 10 March 1800 – 14 December 1871) was an English railway financier and politician who, because he controlled a significant part of the railway network in the 1840s, became known as "The Railway King"—a title conferr ...

Esq M.P. The design included a spire projected to be high sitting on the tower, but this was never added. The church opened for worship on 3 January 1850. The debt took some time to pay off, but by 1853 the

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

agreed to consecrate the church and it took place on 16 July 1853. The vestries were added in 1900 by W.S. Hicks. In December 2022, it was announced the church was to close due to declining congregation numbers and rising running costs, a final service was held on 5 February 2023.

Organ

Initially services were accompanied by a Seraphine. A pipe organ was presented in 1857 by Nathaniel Plews, which was second hand from Bedale church. However, this proved to be unsatisfactory and in 1865 a new organ was installed by Mr. Nicholson of Newcastle upon Tyne which included parts from the old organ. The cost was £150. This organ was replaced in 1890 when a 2 manual organ was built by H.S. Vincent and Company of Sunderland. The opening recital was given on 18 September 1890 by Philip Armes, organist of Durham Cathedral. A specification of the current organ can be found on the

National Pipe Organ Register The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...

. It has been awarded a Grade II* listing by the

British Institute of Organ Studies The British Institute of Organ Studies (BIOS) is a British organisation and registered charity which aims to promote study and appreciation of all aspects of the pipe organ. Further, it acts as a lobbying body to raise awareness of organ issue ...

Bells

The tower contains a ring of 8 bells. Five were installed in 1848 by Charles and George Mears. Three more were added in 1893 by

Mears and Stainbank The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darlington, St John Church of England church buildings in County Durham Grade II listed churches in County Durham St John