Churches of the British Isles

Baxtergate Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Hedon, stood at the far end of this present block, at the south-east corner of the junction between Baxtergate and Burgess Square. It was originally erected in 1818, but was rebuilt and enlarged in 1875. A Zeppelin raid in 1917 saw the building so badly damaged that it had to be demolished. The result was the present Hull Road (New Road) site being purchased and a new church building being erected there (see links).

St Mary & St Joseph Catholic Church, Hedon, stands on the west side of Baxter Gate, precisely midway between the George Street and Fletcher Gate turnings. Catholic worship found its foothold in Hedon in 1804 when the present chapel was built. Prior to this Catholics had met at a private residence called Nuthill, located on Winter Hill, off the eastern side of Weghill to the north of Burstwick. The recently restored church is of plain brick, with a presbytery attached.

Hedon Primitive Methodist Chapel stood on the northern side of George Street, with the site now occupied by East Riding Children's Centre (centre here, beyond the black-skirted building), about thirty-five metres west of the Baxter Gate junction. The chapel was erected in 1873, prior to which the Primitive Methodists had met in another chapel, quite possibly the Magdalen Gate Baptist Chapel which had for a time been used by Wesleyan Methodists. It closed after 1951.

The Church of St Augustine, Hedon, is on the south side of Church Gate, flanked west and east by Church Lane and Distaff Lane respectively. It is the only one of Hedon's several medieval structures to survive, the oldest part dating to about 1190. Its rugged fifteenth century Perpendicular central tower gives it the nickname the 'King of Holderness' in what was a highly important port on the Humber Estuary. Hull superseded it in the 1400, leading to local decline.

Replacing an earlier structure, this was intended to be a highly grand edifice, but the loss of trade in the town pegged back ambitions somewhat. The building's chancel and transepts are Early English and the clerestoried nave (completed by 1350) is Early Decorated, as is the notable octagonal font. It was restored in 1866-1877 by G E Street, an important architect who was closely associated with the Victorian renovation of many medieval parish churches.

Three photos on this page kindly contributed by Colin Hinson, with three copyright © Bernard Sharp (two) and Paul Harrop (one), and all reused under a cc licence.