South Hylton, Church Street, Church of St. Mary

The first church on the this site is described by Whellan (1856) as a 'small but neat building, erected by the late Admiral Maling'. It had been used as a place of worship since 1817 and was consecrated by the Bishop of Durham in 1821. In 1856 it contained 400 sittings, one half of which were free and unappropriated. The Reverend was a Joseph Law. The present church was built around 1880 to a design by C. Hodgson Fowler. A tower was added in 1930 on the south side of the church as a war memorial. There is an inscribed stone inside the tower: "THIS TOWER IS ERECTED FOR A MEMORIAL BEFORE GOD OF THE PARISHONERS OF FORD WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918/ WHEN I AWAKE UP AFTER THY LIKENESS I SHALL BE SATIFIED WITH IT". 43 names are listed. The tower architect was G.E. Charlewood.