Specialist stonemasonry contractor Classic Masonry has completed a series of conservation and repair projects at historic churches across the North East, including works at St Hilda’s Church, Christ Church, and St Andrew’s Church.

The programme reflects the continuing need for specialist masonry knowledge when working with historic ecclesiastical buildings, where sensitive repair and careful maintenance are essential to preserving original stonework and ensuring long-term structural stability.

Mike Moody, managing director at Classic Masonry, said the projects demonstrated the variety of challenges presented by historic ecclesiastical buildings:

“The three churches all had different requirements, and it is a tribute to the depth of skill and expertise within our teams that we were able to provide solutions we know will stand the test of time.” 

At St Hilda’s Church in Hartlepool, a Grade I listed building standing on the Headland overlooking the North Sea, Classic Masonry undertook a range of works as part of a wider restoration programme. The church is widely regarded as an important example of Early English architecture and is believed to occupy the site of a 7th-century monastery associated with St Hilda before she founded Whitby Abbey.

The project included masonry repairs alongside re-roofing works, leadwork and rainwater goods, together with restoration of clerestory windows. Internal glazed partitions and associated electrical works were also carried out as part of the scheme. Funding support for the project came through the National Lottery Heritage Fund Heritage at Risk programme, which supports historic buildings considered vulnerable to neglect or decay.

Further conservation work was carried out at St Andrew’s Church in Newcastle, widely considered the city’s oldest church, with origins dating back to the 12th century. The building contains significant surviving medieval stonework, including a Norman chancel arch decorated with chevron ornamentation.

Here, Classic Masonry was commissioned to dismantle and rebuild the tomb of Ouseburn Foundry owner James Glynn after the structure became unsafe. The works were undertaken in liaison with an archaeologist to ensure the protection of historic material.

At Christ Church in Shieldfield, a Grade II listed Victorian Gothic building constructed between 1859 and 1861, the company undertook a number of targeted repair works. These included repointing sections of masonry to the adjoining church hall, repairs to hoodmoulds above one of the principal arch windows, and lifting and rebedding water tables on a gable end.

Such a layered project further highlights the team's expertise and care in stone restoration, which is born out of a passion for the craft, as Mike underlines:

“While each project differed, the combining element that brought them together was their wonderful history and heritage that goes back many hundreds of years. It was a pleasure to play our part in restoring and protecting them for other generations to enjoy well into the future.”