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St Aidan's Church


Details about St Aidan's Church

St.Aidan's Church opened in 1890 on the corner of Oxford and Stockton Streets.

Before this, the need had arisen for another parish between those of Seaton Carew and Stranton as the population of the town and the area around Belle Vue and Longhill  in particular had grown dramatically. The mayor of the time and brewery owner JW Cameron had aquired the Stranton Estate and offered a site on which to build a church. In May 1889, the foundation stone of St Aidan's was laid by Bishop Sandford and the church, in Early English style was opened in 1890 the money having been raised by a building committee at Greenbank, Cameron's home and the 4000  'labouring class 'parishioners in the area. It cost £4211.11s.8d to build. In October 1911, when funds allowed, a clock tower was added.

Prior to the 1890 building, an iron temporary chapel was opened in Oxford Street costing £400 but this could only hold 250 of the 4000 in the parish. After the new church had been built, the iron mission room was sold to St Paul's for £150 and was taken by traction engine and slipways to Murray Street, an operation which took three weeks.

It was further sold to St Luke's parish as that church was being built. The 'travelling' mission hall then returned to Belle Vue and became Belle Vue Congregational Church in Edgar Street where it remained until Ashgrove Ave Congregational Chapel was opened.


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