Nothing is known of the old Parish of Alwinton before the 13th century except that the original building on this site was a Norman Chapel, parts of which remain and dictate the orientation of the present church just North of East due to the geological structure of the hillside. The early Norman church had a nave of the usual double square plan and a very plain narrow arch leading to the chancel.

In the 12th century, the choir was rebuilt and lengthened and at the end of the same century, or early in the next, narrow north and south aisles were added to the nave with arcades of three arches inserted in its side walls. In architectural terms, this was the Transitional Period, the change from Norman to the early Gothic style. The two small lancet windows either side of the choir/chancel date from this period. Also in the 13th century a south chapel or aisle transept was added to the nave.

Thee earliest records of the parish show the patrons as theUmfravilles, Lords of Redesdale, who between 1181 and 1244 granted Kidland to Newminster monastery (near Morpeth) whereupon the Abbot agreed in 1233 to pay the “Rector of Alwinton”, Thomas Rule, 1/2 mark of silver, llb of pepper and llb of incense yearly at Michaelmas. This first mention of a priest here is celebrated by the two glass panels on the inner door as you enter the church. The Rector paid taxes to the Umfravilles until 1375 when they gave the Advowson (the right to appoint a priest to a benefice in particular a parish church) to Holystone nunnery. Since then both churches have been linked, but it was not until much later (approx 1742) that Alwinton became the mother church of the parish of “Alwinton with Holystone”.

This period created an anomaly. The granting of Kidland, the three square mile area known as Kidland Forest, (just north of Alwinton) to Newminster monastery, has been altered only in recent years. This means that technically, until the alteration occurred, the area was not in Alwinton parish, and according to local tradition, the priest carried the title: “Lord of Kidland”.

The unique feature of this church is the height of the chancel floor which was raised in the early 14th century to provide a crypt for the Clennell family. A close look reveals that the second step from the top has chamfered ends allowing it to be lifted out. Once this has been done, the rest follow providing a formal entrance to the burial chamber. A door in the north wall, which was sealed in the 1960s, provided an external access.

The 15th & 16th centuries were a very bleak period in the history of the Alwinton church building. It became neglected and fell into a state of disrepair. A Curate, Alexander Menzies, who sought to improve the fabric of the church and uplift the services, records in 1627 that: “The walls of the church and chancel are ingreat decay. No glasse and noe doores for the church, but that it fell open”.

1582:
The first time the church is recorded as dedicated to “St. Michael and All Angels”, churches on hills were often dedicated to the Archangel, for being close to heaven (sic the church); St. Michael could be easily called upon to ward off the devil. On the other hand, the dedication may simply be because historically the priest was paid on that Feast Day (see above).

1635:
The inhabitants of Alwinton were instructed to repair the building, however the Earl of Suffolk, the owner of both Holystone and Alwinton churches together with their rectories, sold them to John Sanderson and Andrew Rutherford of Harbottle. They in turn conveyed them in thirds in 1639/40 to Roger Widdrington, George Thirwall and William Selby of Biddlestone, who was ordered to repair the Selby Porch but nothing was done until later when one of the Selbys rebuilt it in 1672 as an aisle-less family pew and burial place. Some time later the chancel was repaired, its western lancet window enlarged, the east gable rebuilt and a new Priest’s Door put in place. Priests had a separate door to gain entry to the chancel when celebrating the Mass, lest having prepared themselves, they should be contaminated through contact with people.

1720:
There was a lot of activity in church building, the church wardens and minister agreed to spend half of the whole parish rental on the repair of Holystone church and at the same time work started on the church at Alwinton. New glazing (the individually cut and set latticed clear windows are a feature of Northumberland churches) wainscotting and a new pulpit were added; the original was placed in Holystone.

1724:
The church was re-roofed and covered with stone slates. The south chapel was now allotted to Biddlestone (a title it still retains), and the north aisle continued to be the Barrow Porch and the two other bays became the Shilmoor and Clennell estate porches. A porch is an area where a specific family sat.

1729:
The roof was re-slated with slate from Eglingham and the parish took over the Barrow porch and Selby Crypt (Biddlestone Porch).

1742:
The Patronage changed from the Bishop of Durham to the Duke of Northumberland, and in 1892, the Lord Chancellor became joint Patron. Until the living was suspended in 1999, the patronage was shared on an alternate basis.

1839:
By this date the Clennell crypt had been allotted to the Selby family and it was after a visit here that year that the Archdeacon, The Venerable Singleton wrote affectionately, describing the ascent to the the church, though damp, was not in as bad a state of repair as he had been led to believe. This betrays the already existing plan by the then Rector, Aislabie Proctor, to pull the old church down.

1851-2:
Singleton opposed the scheme to pull down the church as firmly as his gentle nature would allow and the Revd Proctor was able to let a Durham architect, George Pickering, loose on the building. The same architect had been used at Holystone in 1848. The nave was completely pulled down except for the east end and lower part of the north wall. Likewise, the south, or Biddlestone Porch, was rebuilt and a vestry added to the chancel.

The only parts that remain of the original church are the foundations of the north aisle and the chancel arch, the steps and parts of the chancel.

PRESENT DAY
The Parish of Alwinton with Holystone was merged with the parish of Rothbury in 2004 to form the new parish of Upper Coquetdale. Within the Lindisfarne Archdeaconry it is, at 180 square miles, one of the largest in the country and yet only has a population of around 4,500 people.

The Eucharist is celebrated every week, alternating between here and Holystone. The Family Service, for “tiny tots” to 11 year olds, held on the first Sunday of every month, is strongly supported by parents and members of the congregation. The themes for these services are agreed in liaison with the local primary schools, Harbottle’s being Church of England aided, and involvement in the services by the younger generation is generally encouraged.

We publish and distribute a community newsletter to every home in the parish which incorporates Church and school news together with items from various organisations in the valley.

On the ecumenical front, united services, house and bible study groups for the United Reformed, Roman Catholic, Christian Fellowship and ourselves have become a feature of Christian worship, involving the community from Rothbury to the head of the Coquet valley.