St. Cuthbert’s opens up its doors

For hundreds of years, St. Cuthbert’s has stood as Darlington’s Church in the Marketplace - a place of sanctuary in the town centre with its beautiful grounds and magnificient architecture. But for the most part, the imposing doors of St. Cuthbert’s have remained closed, limiting the opportunities for our community to experience the beauty and tranquility inside its walls. We are on a mission to change that. We believe that this remarkable building has the potential to serve as an inclusive space that welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vision is to transform St. Cuthbert’s into a vibrant hub of hospitality, music, and faith exploration.

Firstly, we want to open the doors of St. Cuthbert’s to our community. Whether you are a local resident or a visitor passing through, we want to invite you to step inside a place which has seen hundreds of years of prayer and worship, and whose beauty points us to the glory of God. We believe in the power of community and the joy of coming together, and we want to extend our warm welcome to all who enter St. Cuthbert’s. Our plan is to make a space where visitors can get a cup of coffee and piece of cake, but our hope is to provide a place where friendships are forged, and kindness and compassion can be expressed: a refuge for the weary, a listening ear for the troubled, and a helping hand for the marginalized.

Secondly, we want St. Cuthbert's to be a resource for Darlington in both music and education. The church boasts a rich history, and its stunning acoustics lend themselves perfectly to concerts and performances. We hope to see our beautiful space come to life, encouraging performances from musicians and artists of all kinds, and reaching out to our local schools to take part. We will be inviting Darlington’s school children and young people to be part of music-making in many different forms at St. Cuthbert’s, and to step back in time and discover the heritage of this amazing 800-year-old building.

Finally, our heart is to continue and to build upon the purpose of St. Cuthbert’s as a place where faith can be explored and expressed. We hope to foster meaningful dialogues, encourage questions, and create a space where diverse perspectives can be shared and understood; where our local community can explore their spirituality, find solace in prayer, and grapple with what faith in Jesus Christ means in the context of the 21st century.

In all of this, our hope is to honour and celebrate the rich history of St. Cuthbert’s, whilst also creating a space fit for the needs of our contemporary community. To turn this dream into a reality, an initial investment from the national Church of England has allowed us to employ an Operations Coordinator, Community Music Director and Pioneer Priest, who will reach out to our community and seek to serve the town with new expressions of music, spirituality, and social justice. Furthermore, we are embarking on a £2.5million project to transform the interior of St. Cuthbert’s. We want to ensure that our space is not only aesthetically pleasing but also accessible and equipped to offer a wide range of activities and events. From cultural performances to spiritual retreats, from heritage exhibitions to social justice initiatives, our hope is that St. Cuthbert’s will be a versatile venue that can adapt to the needs and requirements of the Darlington community.

If you want to learn more about our exciting journey and be a part of this transformative project, we encourage you to reach out to our Priest in Charge, Rev James Harvey, at [email protected]. Alternatively, we warmly invite you to join us at one of our weekly services on Wednesdays at 10:30am and Sundays at 11am, or you can visit us on weekdays between 11am and 1pm from April to October.