Church of St Mary Magdalene, Coatham Mandeville, Houghton-le Skerne, County Durham

CHAPEL SCHOOLS COATHAM MANDEVILLE, HOUGHTON-LE SKERNE, DURHAM This parish formerly possessed three chapels in as many hamlets. It is now proposed to rebuild one as a school chapel. Mr Withers has given a good design, to be built of the bricks made on the spot, at a cost of £450. The nave is meant to serve as a schoolroom on weekdays. The chancel is divided from it by a fixed screen and curtains. The chancel has an apsidal sanctuary, and very correctly arranged. There is a convenient vestry on the south side, and there is a small bell turret, capped pyramidally, at the junction of chancel and nave. [Ecclesiologist 1863 page 115]

The little church is built from a design of Mr. Withers, architect, and is on plan a simple parallelogram, 57 feet by 18 feet, the eastern end being apsidal. The entrance doorway is at north-west corner, with a small vestry at south side of chancel; the material is local brick both inside and out, externally red, banded with blue, and inside yellow banded with red bricks, the roof timbers to nave are visible, the chancel roof being panelled. A simple screen erected 20 feet from the east wall forms the chancel, which is furnished with stalls and subselise. The altar-table is raised three steps above the nave floor and a simple reredos formed with Minton's tiles inlaid in stone, above the same. The nave is seated with chairs. The three apse windows were painted by Messrs. Lavers and Barraud, and represent St. Mary Magdalene at the Sepulchre, at the Cross, and in the Garden, respectively. The altar-plate is by Keith. An altar-cloth and font are still required. Externally a small spirelet breaks the long line of roof at the junction of nave and chancel, being 40 feet to cross on same. The fabric cost about £500. [Church Times 3 June 1865, page 169]

Reference     Ecclesiologist 1863 page 115
[Reference    Ecclesiologist Vol XXII February 1864 page 114-115]
Reference     Church Times 3 June 1865, page 169