The first St. Mary’s Church was built by St. Wilfred over twelve hundred years ago. In the 13th Century a new church took its place. This new St. Mary’s fell into disuse when the Abbey became the accepted church of Hexham.

The people of Hexham had long been used to walking through the church on their way to and from the Market Place and St. Mary’s Chare. When shops and houses were built on the site of the church ruins, this traditional walkway was kept and is still called Old Church.*

*information from a signboard near to the church remains