St Hilda’s Church, Hartlepool

Start of both the Way of Love and the Way of St Hild

‍Highlights

• Site of Celtic monastery
• Saxon crosses

Founded by pioneering women missionaries in the 7th century, St Hilda’s Church stands on a prominent headland to the north of Hartlepool. Its sense of community spirit is still strong today, obvious the moment you step through the visitor’s centre at the entrance.

There is plenty on offer to guide the visitor through the church. Audiovisual displays, signs, and helpful stewards offer a rich understanding of this church’s striking history. It was built on the site of the original abbey, which was destroyed or abandoned around 800 in the face of Viking raids.

The Venerable Bede’s History (iv.23) records that the abbey was founded around 640 by Hieu, the first woman to become a nun in Northumbria. She was helped by St Aidan, founder of Lindisfarne. It was therefore a Celtic monastery, perhaps a simple wooden structure.According to a 13th-century Life of St Bega, Hartlepool’s community was actually founded by the obscure St Bega, who has a church on the other side of the country at St Bees (page 379). Bede mentions a St Begu as a nun who served under St Hilda, so it is possible that the 13th-century historian has got his wires crossed. The church guide wonders if St Bega and Hieu are in fact the same person.

We know for certain that St Hilda became abbess here in 649. She served for eight years before moving to Whitby. One of many information panels in the nave says she ‘strove to build a monastic community in which educational activities played a central part’. She would be thrilled by the church’s current efforts.

In addition to fitting so much display material into the building, there is also devotional space set aside for a more personal experience. A side chapel on the right near the high altar has a Saxon engraved cross at its centre, a memorial to a nun called Hildithryth. This was found during excavations in the churchyard, which unearthed remains of the early monastery’s graveyard. No trace of the actual monastic buildings has yet been discovered.

As you step from this pilgrim chapel into the chancel, there is an engraved slab on the floor marking the place where a 7th-century nun’s body was found during a Channel 4 Time Team excavation. She must have been of some importance to be buried so near the high altar. No saint springs to mind; St Begu’s grave was venerated at Whitby and St Hilda’s at Glastonbury and/or Gloucester. Hieu, the founder, went to live at Tadcaster in North Yorkshire.

Most of the church is an appealing 13th-century example of Early Gothic architecture. A collection of medieval stonework is displayed around the church, particularly at the back beyond the high altar.

Directions‍

St Hilda’s Church, Church Close, Hartlepool TS24 0PW‍

www.hartlepool-sthilda.org.uk‍

W3W: locked.wide.grab

GPS: 54.6954N 1.1821W‍

The headland is north of Hartlepool’s main city, at the end of the A1049. In addition to service times, the church is open Sat and Sun 2pm–4pm, and on Wednesdays 11:30am to 1pm.