Restoration Project
From the 13th to the 21st Century
The first church to stand on the current site of All Saints was completed in 1286. By the end of the 18th century, however, this Gothic building had reached a state of sad disrepair and was no longer suitable for the needs of the rapidly growing city of Newcastle.
In 1786 it was unanimously decided by the parishioners that the original building should be completely replaced. David Stephenson, a leading architect from North East England, was commissioned to design the new church. The building work lasted for a decade and was finally completed in 1796 at a total cost of £27,000. The resulting distinctive spire, beautiful elliptical nave and imposing doric portico of All Saints continue to shape to Newcastle’s skyline.
All Saints continued to serve as a church until 1961, at which time it was deconsecrated for use by the Town Teacher initiative. On account of its remarkable acoustic properties, the building was subsequently used by the Royal Northern Sinfonia for concerts and rehearsals prior to the completion of the Sage Gateshead.
In 2019 Gateshead Presbyterian Church (now All Saints Presbyterian Church) signed a 150 year lease for All Saints and commenced extensive restoration work in preparation for resuming weekly worship services. The opening dedication service held on 13 October 2019, celebrated a poignant return to the intended purpose of All Saints, a building that has played a central role in the city of Newcastle for over 7 centuries.
Donors
The million-pound restoration of this stunning building would not have been possible without the generous support of the following donors:
Historic England is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government. As the public body that champions and protects England’s historic places, it is funded largely by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Established in 1958, the Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded charitable grant-making trust which now gives away approximately £80 million a year to charities across the UK. Having established one of the most respected charitable institutions in the UK, the Weston Family Trustees today remain highly active and hands-on. The Foundation’s funding comes from an endowment of shares in the family business – a successful model that still endures today and as the businesses have grown, so too have the charitable donations. Each year the Foundation gives away its income and donations have continued to grow. Since it was established it has donated over £1 billion, of which over half has been given away in the past ten years alone. In the most recent financial year the Foundation gave away over £79 million to over 2,100 charities across the UK.
The National Churches Trust is the leading national independent charity concerned with the protection and welfare of churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout the United Kingdom.
Allchurches Trust is one of the UK’s largest grant-making charities and gave more than £16 million to churches, charities and communities in 2018. Its funds come from its ownership of Ecclesiastical Insurance Group.
Midway Presbyterian Church is located in Powder Springs, Georgia, about 30 miles northwest of Atlanta, and is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America. In late 2014 and in response to Our Lord’s gracious Provision, Midway established the ACTS Fund ( Acclaiming Christ Through Stewardship) While the fund’s focus is intentionally narrow (i.e. promoting the historically Protestant Reformed understanding and approach to biblical Christianity), the fund is primarily used to provide startup support for a wide range of Reformed works –domestic and international– related to worship, church planting/construction, missions, pastoral education, and translations.