A very simple church of the 1950s, replacing an earlier church on a different site, with a modern hall addition of 2000.

The Horden Coal Company sank their first shaft at Blackhall in 1909 and the first Catholic priest took up residence in the new mining settlement 1919.  A combined church and school was built in 1926 near Hardwick Hall, the seat of the Maires, the most prominent Catholic family in the district. Church and school were destroyed by fire in 1946 although the presbytery survived.  A new church on a new site fronting the coast road was opened in 1950.  A new parish hall was built in 2000.  

Description

The original church of 1950 was a simple rectangular structure four bays in length with a lower projection at each end.  A small sacristy with a lean-to roof has been attached to the east bay on the north side and a yellow brick parish hall extension was added at the west end in 2000. The walls of the original church are faced in brown brick, the pitched roof is covered in blue pantiles. Each bay of the side walls has a tall rectangular widow of three main lights with brick mullions.  The new hall has been attached to the original west end and a new porch formed on the north side.  The new hall extension is lower than the church and has a broad hipped roof covered in concrete tiles with a bowed west end under a gable. 

Internally the church is a single wide undivided space with a canted plastered ceiling.  At the east end a broad depressed arch opens into the simple sacristy which has side windows and a blind east wall.  At the west end broad glazed doors open into what is now the vestibule between church and hall.  The floor of the church is carpeted, the windows mostly clear glazed.  The wooden benches appear to date from c1950. No furnishings of particular note were seen.  

Heritage Details