St Thomas' Newcastle

Huge and imposing from the outside, I was drawn to explore the interior. It didn’t seem quite the same inside.... certainly not as flamboyant, but seemed much smaller, quiet, clean, lovely windows, and a lot of the space given over to the sales of Christmas cards and other arts and crafts. A peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle outside.

A good and friendly church which although Anglican isn't heavy on litergy. The format follows a group of modern worship songs by a band and then the sermon followed on this Sunday by communion and prayer ministry whilst the band played. There is also coffee and biscuits after the service. A church that isn't afraid to declare what it believes but also makes you feel part of the family. Worth a visit.

Perfect place to learn about the church's history and how, in its previous location centuries ago, it was an important pilgrimage location. I absolutely enjoyed walking around the premises seeing the memorials in honour of those who died during the world wars, and the coal tunnel built early in the 20th century and which would later serve as air-raid shelters for the locals. Inside the church, there are more physical reminders of the wars (banners especially) and stained-glass windows put up for some of the lost souls. There is a special on on the battle at Malta.

A nice church in the heart of Newcastle. There is a really interesting knight statue outside which is a cool feature to explore. The church consists of stunning architecture which is well worth visiting.

The exterior of the church looks old, built in gothic style during the first half of the 19th century. But the interior is very modern and has been redesigned to incorporate mezzanine galleries on either side for office/study space. I can see that they have effectively utilised the interior space, but in doing so the beautiful stained glass windows have been partially truncated by the mezzanine floors.