Hebburn, Church Street, St Andrew's United Reformed Church

Presbyterian, now United Reformed, church. 1872 by R J Johnson of Newcastle. Coursed sandstone rubble; Welsh slate roofs. Nave and transepts; west entrance porch; north-west tower. Decorated Gothic style. Porch has 3 crocketed gables, the central one high with bud finial and having marble shafts flanking double door; east gable has large round spoked window, both transepts have windows of 2 lights and a large 10-foiled round window over; broad 5-bay nave. Very tall and slender tower has much, decoration, including tall crocketed gablets
to belfry openings with marble shafts. Interior : semicircular panelled wooden ceiling rising from ornate shafted corbels. Historical note: the building was the gift of Andrew Leslie, whose shipbuilding firm dominated Hebburn in the C19. It is prominent landmark at the top of the river valley.

Recorded by Peter Ryder in 2014 ahead of redevelopment. The interior of the church has lost many of its original features due to its recent use as a warehouse. It retains a ring of 6 bells in the bell tower (3 original) - it may be the only Presbyterian building to have a full ring of bells.

Peter Ryder - sometimes called the 'Presbyterian Cathedral'. Andrew Leslie brought so many Scots to work at his shipyard here, that the area became known as 'Little Aberdeen'. Ryder says Thoman Richardson was the architect not RJ Johnson. The church opened in 1873. It could seat 700 people. It cost £9000. It closed in the 1980s and served as a warehouse before becoming a Buddhist meditation centre.

LISTED GRADE 2