St. Hilda, Lucker, Northumberland

Description

Standing on the site which dates back probably to Saxon times, St Hilda’s is the sixth church to be built on the wooded slopes overlooking the Waren Burn in the centre of the Northumberland village of Lucker. Although small, Lucker is nevertheless a centre for holidaymakers and St Hilda’s provides a warm welcome to locals, visitors and holidaymakers alike. Being only a few miles from Bamburgh, St Cuthbert’s Way, the Northumberland Coast Path, St Oswald’s Way, and the pilgrim routes to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, the church offers the visitor a peaceful and quiet place which lends itself to some time of contemplation. Many visitors have commented on the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere of the church and its setting, and the warm welcome that they have received here.

The quiet churchyard slopes down to the rapidly running Waren Burn. Mature trees surround the site and there is a gravel path around the church building. Being in the centre of the village and surrounded on most sides by the trees means that, unlike so much of this part of the world, there are no wide-ranging views. Nevertheless the intimacy of the building and its churchyard have a quiet beauty of their own.

Standard Opening times: St Hilda’s Church is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Regular Eucharistic service is held at 11.00 am on Sundays and Morning Prayer is held at 9.15 am every Friday. (5th Sunday services start at 10 am and are shared with St Mary's, Belford.)

Location

Lucker, Belford, Northumberland, NE70 7JG, United Kingdom

Directions

Grid reference: NU 15086 30367
By car: Lucker is approximately 1.5 miles from the A1 off the B1341 road to Bamburgh. Drive straight through to the centre of the village and St Hilda’s Church is on the left a few yards past the village war memorial.
There is no public transport.
On foot: Lucker is a very small village on quiet country roads. Walkers are spoilt for choice in that there are a number of ways to approach the village and the church.

Facilities

Access is probably difficult for a wheelchair user. There is a step at the entry gate into the churchyard and a slope up to the church where there are more steps into the porch. A portable (but somewhat heavy) wooden ramp is kept inside the building and can be manoeuvred over the steps to provide entry to the porch where there is yet another shallow step into the building.
As yet there are no toilet facilities in the church but there are toilets at the Apple Inn, which is diagonally across the road from the church.

Refreshments (tea and coffee) are available on a “make your own” basis, although no milk is kept in the church. Refreshments can be obtained from the Apple Inn (close by the church) which will happily cater for visitors, and also has accommodation, as does The White Swan Inn at Warenford (a mile or so from Lucker). The church is suitable for quiet days for individuals or a group.

Hospitaller/Contact Person

Tim Binder

Email:

Return to Search Results ->