St John the Baptist Parish Church, Alnmouth

St John the Baptist Parish Church is an Anglican place of worship situated in the village of Alnmouth in Northumberland, England. It is the parish church for the Alnmouth area and is within the Diocese of Newcastle. The church is a Grade II listed building.HistoryEarly churchesThe present church is the third to be built in the village, the first church stood on Church Hill and is where Saint Cuthbert was elected Bishop of Hexham in the year 684 at the Synod of Twyford (Saxon “Aetiwifordia”). This church was rebuilt and enlarged by the first Norman Earl of Northumbria in the 12th century and named in honour of Saint Waleric. This church declined rapidly in the 16th century as a result of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, additionally it was gradually destroyed as the River Aln changed course over a period of time and was finally brought down in the great storm of Christmas 1806. From 1859 a temporary chapel was created for worship in the town at Hindmarsh Hall, an old granary, and this was used until a new church could be built.Present day churchThe present day Church of St John the Baptist was built at a site on Northumberland Street on land given by Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland, the building cost £2,595 which was raised by public subscription. The church was consecrated by Charles Baring Bishop of Durham on Tuesday November 6, 1876, two months later on February 7, 1877 Alnmouth became a separate parish when it was divided from the parish of Lesbury.