Church of St. Oswald at Heavenfield, England

 Heavenfield, St Oswald Church

 This evening, I am posting information on the historic church of St. Oswald which is located near Chollerford,about 25 miles west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in northern England.

This is a historic church on an equally historic site, namely site of the Battle of Heavenfield which took place in AD 634. At the battle, the Christian King Oswald defeated a pagan army from whereon Oswald was held in high esteem in the early Christian Church as manifested in many eponymous churches and a St. Oswald’s Day which is celebrated on August 5th. 

The current church is probably the third such building on the site. There is evidence and/or records of a Saxon church, replaced by a medieval building in turn replaced by the current church in 1817.

Features of the current church include:

  • Interior with simple chancel and lime-washed stone.
  • Close to the font is a Roman altar used as a cross-base. (This stonework was likely re-cycled from a site on nearby Hadrian’s Wall.)
  • Exterior features a simple belfry-arch and a sundial fixed in the south wall.

St. Oswald’s forms part of the Anglican Communion and is still used for occasional services.

The site and building are conveniently situated for the Hadrian’s Wall Path (hiking route).

View north (to Scotland) from Heavenfield.

View North from Heavenfield

Re-cycled Roman altar at St. Oswald’s

Heavenfield Church

Interior of St. Oswald in Lee with Bingfield

 Heavenfield Church

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