Please use the St.Andrews Church menu above to navigate to the area of your interest.

The History page is the history of the church and in effect the history of the village.

The photographs section is obviously graphical in content and therefore may take a few seconds to load if you are using dial up browsing - please be patient.

---

A Silent Auction is being held in the Parish Hall, Dalton-le-Dale on Saturday 22nd May starting at 10.00am till 12.00 noon.

St. Andrews Church needs your help to raise £30,000.

St. Andrews, one of the oldest churches in the North East was built in 1150 AD and well cared for by its parishioners and is certainly worth a visit.

The church council is trying bring it into the 21st Century by providing a toilet and kitchen at the West end of the church for our parishioners and visitors.

If you can help to raise this money by donation or knowledge of organisations/businesses who give grants, please contact out Treasurer Mrs E Wood 8 Grasmere Terrace, Murton, Seaham.

Making History in the Dale

St. Andrew’s church in Dalton le Dale is not the easiest place to find. However a brief detour from the B1285 finds it nestling in its tree lined graveyard pretty much as it has done for the last 850 years. Charm is one word easily applied to all a visitor may find there. Once seen St. Andrew’s is not forgotten which is why increasingly those who have discovered it return to its services, be they for Sunday worship or to mark the significant ceremonies of life.

Despite its age St. Andrew’s is quite accessible in terms of today’s expectation’s. For an ancient church it is warm, apart from the coldest days. After the low door step (ramp available) its level, audible, big enough for a crowd yet small enough to see and be in touch with what’s happening. However it does lack facilities such as a toilet and a kitchen which would complete its hospitality.

To equip St. Andrew’s for the twenty first century and beyond its Church Council is planning to add a small extension to the building. This would provide both the utilities and storage space to open up other areas of the church. Being a Grade II (star) listed building the work comes at considerable cost; estimates begin at £150,000. Currently around £30,000 has been given or pledged but the rest remains to be found.

To this end Funding organisations are being approached and an appeal is to be launched at the St. Andrew’s day service. Its hoped that, on the 30th. Nov., those present, indeed anywhere, may ’buy a block’.

Generations of people have made their mark in different ways on St. Andrew’s. The Saxon’s left a sundial, the Medievals a lady and a knight. The turn of the last century brought a new ceiling and screen with the years between leaving the mystery of the Roman Numerals to keep us guessing. Now there is another opportunity to join in literally building a piece of history; a work helping today and leaving a legacy in stone for tomorrow.