St Mary's Church, Norton, is an ancient parish church located on the village green of Norton, County Durham. It is the only cruciform Anglo-Saxon church in northern England and a Grade I listed building.[1]
| St Mary's Church, Norton | |
|---|---|
| St Mary the Virgin | |
 | |
 | |
| 54°35′33″N 1°18′59″W / 54.59248°N 1.31627°W | |
| Location | The Green, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees TS20 1EJ |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1020 |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Durham |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Auckland |
| Deanery | Stockton |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar(s) | Martin Anderson |
Description edit
Its crossing tower with eight triangular head windows has a battlemented top of later date, and there is a 14th-century effigy of a knight in chainmail. Residing under the church floor there is claimed to be an escape tunnel used by the Saxons and priests when in danger, though it is more probably a drainage culvert. The tunnel leads under the church floor and Norton Green, eventually surfacing in the Albany housing estate. The church floor was recently renovated and Saxon remains and artefacts were discovered in the tunnel entrance.
Churchyard edit
The grave of John Walker, the inventor of friction matches, is located in the churchyard.[2]
References edit
- ^ Historic England. "Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, The Green (1140012)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
- ^ "The Home Page of St.Mary the Virgin, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees". Stmarysnorton.org.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2022.