---
title: "St Mary the Virgin, Whickham"
description: "Located in Whickham, Tyne & Wear. Built 12th-century nave; 13th-century aisles; 14th-century porch and tower; restored 1819 and 1860–62. Diocese of Durham. Grade I. Norman nave with later medieval aisles and tower style."
category: "Church"
tags: ["Church","Church of England","Tyne & Wear","Whickham","Grade I","Norman","John Dobson","Anthony Salvin","Diocese of Durham"]
canonical: "https://thebritishgazette.com/post/st-mary-virgin-whickham"
pubDate: "2026-09-06T03:05:34.995Z"
dateModified: "2026-09-07T20:33:41.044Z"
location: "Whickham, Tyne & Wear"
country: "England"
county: "Tyne & Wear"
town: "Whickham"
address: "Church Chare, Whickham, Tyne & Wear, NE16 4SH"
postcode: "NE16 4SH"
built: "12th-century nave; 13th-century aisles; 14th-century porch and tower; restored 1819 and 1860–62"
architect: "John Dobson (1819 restoration); Anthony Salvin (1860–62 restoration and second north aisle)"
denomination: "Church of England"
dedications: ["Mary"]
diocese: "Durham"
grade: "I"
style: "Norman nave with later medieval aisles and tower"
materials: "Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings; graduated Lakeland slate roofs; stone slate porch roof"
website: "http://www.stmaryswhickham.org.uk/"
openingHours: "Open on Wednesday 9.30am to noon. Keyholder in Parish Office Tuesday to Friday 9am to noon."
parish: "Whickham"
listEntryUrl: "https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1185359"
gridReference: "NZ 209 613"
accessNotes: "Level access to the main areas"
---

# St Mary the Virgin, Whickham

St Mary’s is a Grade I parish church on Church Chare, Whickham, Tyne and Wear, in the Diocese of Durham.

## Overview

Historic England records a twelfth-century nave, thirteenth-century aisles, and a fourteenth-century porch and tower, with a porch sundial dated 1651. John Dobson restored the church in 1819. Anthony Salvin restored it in 1860–62 and added a second north aisle, vestry, organ chamber and new roof. The fabric is coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings and a plinth; roofs are graduated Lakeland slate with stone gable copings, and stone slate over the porch.

The west tower has a north stair turret, plate-traceried west window, paired shouldered bell openings and a battlemented parapet. The interior has four-bay round-arched nave arcades with simple leaf capitals (guttae on the original south arcade) and a rebuilt round chancel arch on half-columns with scalloped capitals.

## Further Information

- [Historic England list entry 1185359](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1185359)
- [British Listed Buildings](https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101185359-church-of-st-mary-dunston-hill-and-whickham-east-ward)
- [St Mary’s Whickham](http://www.stmaryswhickham.org.uk/)