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South Hylton, Sunderland

South Hylton Primitive Methodist Church

Last Updated:

2 Sept 2024

South Hylton, Sunderland

This is a

Church

54.905873, -1.453283

Founded in 

1880

Current status is

In situ but disused

Designer (if known):

W D Pratt

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Currently disused and partly dismantled.

"Shown on Ordnance Survey second edition map of circa 1898. Primitive Methodist Church. 1880-? by W D Pratt. Red brick, gable-fronted, Gothic. Derelict in 2012" - Sitelines

Listing Description (if available)

Both Ordnance Survey maps depict South Hylton between the late 19th century and 1920. The chapel in question can be seen on the High Street, nearby the OS benchmark and the Post Office. It is very close to the Free United Chapel, which is just off the high street.

South Hylton at this time was a relatively small settlement, but was growing thanks to the ironworks in the south of the village and the substantial paper works at Ford to the east. Hylton Station was a well used stop on the Sunderland to Durham railway, and plenty of terraces had been built to accommodate the workers.

The 1946 shows a similar picture, though the village has expanded by this point eastwards as part of a more modern spacious housing estate. It is within the next few years the Pennywell Estate will be built, which was to be one of the UKs largest.

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Undated photograph of the Methodist Church, complete with its extension on its west wing. The steepness of the lane down to the river is exemplified on this photograph.

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Photograph of High Street, South Hylton, undated. The extension can be seen on the top of the street as it curves towards the main village and the station. Sadly none of the buildings photographed still remain.

Source: Paul Kerry, FB

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Methodist Church in its present state in 2022. The windows are sadly boarded up to prevent vandalism and is now disused, with the east wing of the site occupied by scrap and redundant material. An inscription on the Foundation Stone on the left of the photo reads:

'FOUNDATION STONE LAID BY MRS BROWNING OF FORD LODGE .... 17TH 1880'

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