Sunderland Minster
High Street West, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR1 3ET
A church dedicated to St. Michael has stood on the site since Anglo Saxon times but has been replaced several times and now incorporates surviving elements of late Saxon, medieval and Georgian churches. The main body of the church was rebuilt by W. D. Caroe in the Perpendicular Gothic style because of mining subsidence in the 1930s and alterations took place in the 1980s to make it more fit for purpose in the twentieth century.
Stained glass windows include work by William Morris, Marion Grant and Thomas Denny. There is a weeping chancel, a pulpit turned into an altar and a significant collection of war memorials.
The church, previously known locally as Bishopwearmouth Church, served a vast parish and past rectors include a pope, the theologian William Paley and the brother of the Duke of Wellington. It was created a Minster (the first in the new wave of minsters in the Church of England) by the Bishop of Durham in 1998.
Timings & Tours
- Wednesday 11 September:
- 1000-1300
- Thursday 12 September:
- 1000-1300
- Friday 13 September:
- 1000-1300
- Saturday 14 September:
- 1000-1300
Location & directions
High Street West, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, SR1 3ET
- Contact on day:
- Elizabeth Tinker
- Telephone number:
- +447981194130
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
Wheelchair access to ground floor only.
Additional information
A new garden was opened in front of the church on Bishopwearmouth Green in 2021. In 2024 a mini orchard of fruit trees in oak barrels was planted in the church grounds. There will be a short communion service on Thursday 12th at 12.15pm There will be a talk on the stained glass windows on Friday 13th at 11am There will be a wedding taking place on Saturday 14th at 12pm but visitors are still welcome to look round. A textile banner created by local people portraying aspects of the area's history is on display in the cafe.
