The Churches of Ponteland: A Guide to the Village's Places of Worship

For a village of its size, Ponteland is unusually well provided with churches, four in all, spanning nine centuries of worship. Together they tell much of the story of the village, from its Norman beginnings by the River Pont to the growth of Darras Hall in the twentieth century. Here is our guide to the churches of Ponteland.

St Mary the Virgin

St Mary the Virgin is the ancient heart of the village, standing beside the River Pont where there has been a church since Saxon times. The present building is Norman in origin, dating from the 12th century, when the Normans raised a tower with a fine arched west door and walls thick enough to keep out Scottish raiders. By the safer 14th century, aisles and larger windows were added. With its old stone, memorials and setting by the river and the medieval Vicar's Pele tower, it is Ponteland's most historic building after the castle remains in the Blackbird.

Best for: Don't miss: the Norman west arch and the neighbouring 14th-century Vicar's Pele tower house.

St Matthew's Roman Catholic Church

A Catholic church was established at St Matthew's in 1884, and it remains part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. It serves the village's Catholic community with regular Mass, and is a quietly attractive later-Victorian addition to Ponteland's places of worship.

Ponteland Methodist Church

Ponteland Methodist Church opened in 1841, making it one of the older nonconformist chapels in the area. Still an active congregation, its hall is also a well-used community venue, hosting regular classes and groups through the week alongside its services.

Ponteland United Reformed Church, Darras Hall

The village's newest church has the most unusual history. Ponteland United Reformed Church on Broadway in Darras Hall was built in the early 1990s, replacing an earlier chapel that had itself been converted from the former Darras Hall railway station building, closed to passengers in 1929. It reflects the growth of Darras Hall as a residential suburb through the twentieth century.

Best for: A neat piece of history: the URC stands on the site where the old branch-line railway once ran.

Explore more

Ponteland's churches are woven into its wider story. For more on the village's past, see our guides to the oldest pubs in Ponteland and the lost buildings of Ponteland.

Worship at or help run a Ponteland church we should feature? Get in touch.