The Parish Church of St Hilda, Abbess of Hartlepool
The church (a Grade 1 listed building) stands in a commanding position by the sea. In keeping with our monastic origins, and as a member of the Open Churches Trust, St Hilda's welcomes visitors both to services and on Saturdays from 2 to 4 pm throughout the year and also on Wednesdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 pm from Easter to September. Refreshments are available.
As well as being a vibrant and living church, an impressive architectural structure, and a place of great importance in the development of the Christian faith in the region and Christian heritage in general in the north east, St Hilda’s has a Visitor Centre, charting the history of the Church and the Headland with modern displays (some interactive) and welcomers on hand to guide you round and tell you more.
St Hilda's is the parish church of the Headland, a unique part of Hartlepool which is physically quite separate from the rest of the town. St Hilda came here around 648 AD to take charge of the double monastery of monks and nuns, and later moved to Whitby as the first Abbess there. The church seeks to proclaim the gospel through worship, pastoral support and organisations including Sunday Monkeys, Sunday Youth, Girls' and Boys' Brigades and Ladies' Fellowship and is an active member of Churches Together on the Headland. Six Celebrate! events each year, held on Saturday afternoons, offer faith-based activities for young people (and the young at heart).
