A modern combined church and hall, replacing two earlier churches on different sites. Of some architectural interest (especially internally) as an example of bold, functional 1970s church design.

The present building is the third Catholic church in Easington since the Easington mission was founded in 1861 by Fr Thomas Crowe, a member of a local family.  The first resident priest came in 1865.  The first church was built in Chapelgate in 1875-76 by Thomas Brown for Fr Boland.  Easington Colliery did not start producing coal until 1910.  The subsequent population growth necessitated the building of a second church in 1923. Easington pit suffered a major accident in 1951 when many miners were killed.  The present site in Cemetery Lane was purchased for the building of a new church to replace the earlier buildings. The architects for the new church, seating 250, were David Brown & Associates of Newcastle and the builder George Stephenson of Bishop Auckland.  

Description

The church is a modern brick box.  The walls are faced with brownish-red brick laid in stretcher bond.  The roof coverings are blue concrete tiles.  The building is rectangular on plan under two intersecting monopitch roofs with the presbytery set at right angles to enclose a forecourt. The external walls of the church are virtually windowless. Internally the church and hall are rectangular spaces, both top-lit with bare brick walls timber boarded ceilings, separated by a timber moveable screen. In the church the altar is set on a dais under a timber downstand canopy housing the artificial light source. The effect is functional and austere throughout.

Heritage Details