Allendale, Northumberland:- Church History

Allendale, Our Lady/St Cuthbert. The first church in Allendale was built in 1174 as a chapel vested in the Prior of Hexham. A new church was built in the fourteenth century, a small plain building with a lead roof. An engraving of this church can be seen on the wall of the North aisle of the present church. It was at this time the church was dedicated to St Mary.  In 1807 that church was replaced by a very plain building, most of which was demolished in 1873 when the present building designed by Austin and Johnson was constructed. It was consecrated in 1874, built from square stone, with a slate roof. It has an aisled nave and chancel.The lower part of the  tower dates from the earlier church of 1807. The church was formally a perpetual curacy but was declared a rectory in 1866 and rededicated to St Cuthbert.The Current church has a Grade II listing given 15 April 1969

  Allendale, St Peter in the Forest (or Allenheads, St Peter), located about four miles south of Allendale Town, in the hamlet of Sparty Lea, it is now a private house. The present building dated 1825, replaced an earlier structure of 1701, and consists of a rectangular shaped church with nave and narrower chancel and a gabled west porch. the interior roof was of hammer beam construction with blank shields.There is a large churchyard at the rear of the building. It was given a Grade II listing on 23 August 1985.

Allenheads Chapel, in Allenheads village, was erected by the lord and lady of the manor in 1826. It also replaced an earlier building of 1701, and has also been converted into a private house.
 

St Mark's, Ninebanks (or West Allen) was built in 1764 as a chapel of ease in Allendale Parish, but in 1767 it became a 'district parish'. The church was rebuilt in 1813 and again in 1871. Designed by Haswell and was of ashlar rubble construction with dressings and a slate roof. it was rectangular in shape with a canted apse and a south porch linked to the south west tower, there was a small vestry on the north side. The tower is stepped in three stages, and has a belfry and a square stone spire. The interior has arch braced roof trusses onmoulded corbels.When the first vicar was appointed in 1867, he was also given charge of Christ Church at Carr Shield. The church was given a Grade II lisiting 23 august 1985.
 

Carr Shield, Christ Church, was originally a chapel of ease under Allendale, St Cuthbert, but in 1867 it was placed under the care of the vicar of Ninebanks, St Mark. The first chapel was built in 1704 and was replaced in 1822. The building was demolished around 1980.
 

• Until 1837, Hexhamshire, which included this parish, was a detached part of the diocese of York. In that year it was transferred to the Diocese of Durham.
   
• The Ancestral Indexes website provides information about Catton, St Paul.