---
title: "Chapel of Light, Southwick"
description: "Located in Southwick, Tyne & Wear. Built 1888–90. Grade II. Basilica style."
category: "Church"
tags: ["Church","Church of England","Tyne & Wear","Southwick","Sunderland","Grade II","Basilica","Hodgson Fowler"]
canonical: "https://thebritishgazette.com/post/chapel-light-southwick"
pubDate: "2026-09-06T02:43:20.970Z"
dateModified: "2026-09-07T16:06:53.170Z"
location: "Southwick, Tyne & Wear"
country: "England"
county: "Tyne & Wear"
town: "Southwick"
address: "Cornhill Road, Southwick, Tyne & Wear, SR5 1RU"
postcode: "SR5 1RU"
built: "1888–90"
architect: "C. Hodgson Fowler"
denomination: "Church of England"
grade: "II"
style: "Basilica"
materials: "Brick with red sandstone dressings; graduated Lakeland slate roof"
website: "https://www.scli.org.uk/"
openingHours: "Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm."
listEntryUrl: "https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1208179"
gridReference: "NZ 390 585"
accessNotes: "Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby"
---

# Chapel of Light, Southwick

The Chapel of Light on Cornhill Road, Southwick, Sunderland, occupies the Grade II former Church of St Columba, a basilica of 1888–90 by C. Hodgson Fowler.

## Overview

Historic England lists the building as the Church of St Columba: brick with red sandstone dressings and a graduated Lakeland slate roof, an aisled nave and chancel, east apse, north-east organ chamber and vestry, south porch, west porches and baptistry, in basilica style (NHLE 1208179; listed 17 October 1994). The interior has full-length arcades on round piers with cushion capitals and queen-post trusses. A complete decorative scheme by James Eadie Reid includes a painted sanctuary apse with early English saints, biblical scenes along the aisles, and stained glass, some signed and dated 1905; the sanctuary floor includes Frosterley marble. The church was a Church of England parish church (Princess Diana visited in 1990). After a period empty, Maximum Impact Christian Centre (Chapel of Light, founded 2005) took over the building in 2012. The site has appeared on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register. The present congregation is affiliated to the Apostolic Church UK and the Evangelical Alliance; it is not a current Church of England parish church.

## Further Information

- [Chapel of Light](https://www.scli.org.uk/)
- [Historic England list entry 1208179](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1208179)
- [Heritage at Risk: Chapel of Light](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/3118134)