About Us

There has been Christian worship on this site for at least a thousand years. 

Spelling!

Like every other place in Britain, no settled way of spelling its name existed until modern times. In the mid 19th century, Vicar J B Roberts thought that ‘Shilbottle’ was the authentic spelling, and this has been in the ecclesiastical parish’s formal title since then. But no one else took much notice, and it’s ‘Shilbottle’ to everyone – except when the wags decide to adjust the road signs on the A1 with one tiny stroke of a brush!

The Church

We don’t know when people first came to live in Shilbottle, though a few early finds that probably date from the 5th century have been excavated. The Saxons would have had a wooden church, but nothing remains of that. The Normans rebuilt in stone, and we still have their south door arch, font and chancel arch (though now set over the organ). On the outside of the north wall can be seen two of their tiny window frames. It was rebuilt and repaired through the generations until local landowners decided that something new was required. Our present building dates from 1885 and was designed by Newcastle architect WS Hicks. It is a striking building, containing features from its predecessor and some excellent 19th century carved woodwork. All eyes are drawn towards the altar. The window above it is the community’s War Memorial and the names of those who died in 20th century conflicts are inscribed on the reredos.

Its surrounding churchyard has been in use for a thousand years and gravestones continue to relate some of the hardships of life here in the past. Shilbottle Parish Council now maintains the adjacent Cemetery, in three sections.

The first wedding in the rebuilt church was of Dorothy Widdrington of the Hall at Newton on the Moor. She married Sir Edward Grey, later Lord Grey of Fallodon, British Foreign Secretary at the outbreak of World War 1 and renowned for the words “The lamps are going out all over Europe – we shall not see them re-lit in our lifetime.”

Houses

Next door to the Church is a Pele House which is medieval in part and was the Vicarage between the 16th and 20th centuries. Some of the farm houses in the parish have sections dating from as far back as the 12th century. Many of the older cottages in Shilbottle are built around a group of central fields (rather than a green), with Pants strategically placed to provide a supply of water.

Farming

The majority of the parish is land farmed, mainly for crops. Much of it is owned by Northumberland Estates and leased to tenant farmers, some of whose families have farmed this same land for well over 100 years.

Coal

Coal was mined here from medieval times but this became a major industry from the late 18th century on-wards with the ‘old’ pit at Bilton Banks, succeeded by Shilbottle Grange (developed by the Co-operative Wholesale Society) and Whittle Collieries which were among the last to close in 1982. Shilbottle coal was highly prized and was reputedly used in Buckingham Palace. The practice of ‘importing’ miners and their families from other pits has made Shilbottle a more cosmopolitan society than it might otherwise have been!

Schools

By 1751 there were Church schools both in Shilbottle and in Newton on the Moor. The buildings of Shilbottle’s ‘Top School’ (at the top of the village) belonged to Northumberland Estates and reverted to the Duke on closure in 1981. Meanwhile, ‘Bottom School’ – Shilbottle Grange Primary School was opened in 1926 providing places for many children who moved into the parish as the CWS pit at the Grange was developed. Although never a Church School, relationships with the Church have always been warm and continue to be so.

Other churches in the community

For about thirty years, a Methodist congregation met in a Chapel in Hawthorne Terrace, closing in the 1950s.

Gateway Church Northumberland meets on Sunday afternoons in Shilbottle Community Hall (info: 575196). It is associated with the ‘New frontiers’ collection of congregations. https://gatewaychurchnorthumberland.co.uk/

Local History Group

A group of people interested in recording aspects of Shilbottle’s past have started to meet to gather information and recollections from fellow residents and research available documents. An early project of the group will be to design ‘storyboards’ illustrating Shilbottle’s past for display in St James’ Church.

God's love is proclaimed, the Gospel is preached, love is practiced and the sacraments are offered, week in - week out!  The members of this Christian community live their faith daily and serve the community - locally and wherever we find ourselves.

Our congregation includes newcomers and some who have worshiped here all their lives.  We are a warm and welcoming group of people and our worship styles include formal and less formal - and we enjoy the spontaneous contributions that little people can make!  We take our worship and learning seriously and welcome anyone who would like to explore what it might mean to have faith in God and live the way Jesus has taught us.

We also take our Christian witness and service to our parish community seriously and we are always happy to share prayerfully in the times of change in family living that babies, marriage, death and bereavement bring.  We have people who will responsibly pray with you and support you in times of difficulty, illness or temptation; clergy who will help you be reconciled to God in Confession and Absolution and if you are housebound, make sure that you can receive Communion at home or in hospital.