Houghton le Spring, Sunderland
St Marks Mission Church
Last Updated:
9 Jan 2023
Houghton le Spring, Sunderland
This is a
Church
54.848424, -1.475112
Founded in
Current status is
Demolished
Designer (if known):
Now grassland
A lot of colliery-era buildings have been demolished along Newbottle Street nr Houghton, including St Marks Mission Church built on a spot adjacent to Houghton Colliery in 1883.
St Marks was an overspill chapel for St Michael & All Angels in Houghton, serving the local mining community. An article from the Sunderland Daily Echo in 1890 notes its efforts to collect for the Sunderland Infirmary raising £1 1s 6d, as well as hosting benefit concerts for its own restoration in 1933. YMCA troops and girl guides featured in the entertainment night in Feb 1933.
It was demolished by the NCB in the 60s after acquisition.
Listing Description (if available)
These Ordnance Survey maps from the 1890s and 1920 illustrate the chapel surrounded by the pit rows of Newbottle Street. The maps perfectly encapsulate the chapel's role in everyday life in these parts, serving the pitmen and quarrymen, for which these industries enveloped. Little to none of these buildings remain.
The chapel shown around 2 decades before it was demolished, alongside the many rows which formed a small community between Houghton and Newbottle.
The interior of St Marks Mission before demolition, undated. Unknown original source.
