Percy Bacon & Brothers Stained Glass

Stained Glass of Percy Bacon & Brothers

Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne & Wear (formerly Co. Durham). St Nicholas

Tyne & Wear

Stephen Piper's drawing of the planned new St Nicholas Church c1895. PD image.

North Aisle 4; He Shall Feed His Flock, and a young Christ teaching in the temple; 1903, dedicated 1925.

Architect's drawing of St Nicholas, c1895. PD image.

East: Transfiguration Scene. 1904.

Posted 09 December 2025.

Construction of St Nicholas's church was started in 1895. It replaced an earlier chapel of ease built in 1831 which served the mining community. The new church seems to have taken some time to build, as it wasn't consecrated until April 1901.¹ In 2004 the church was closed due to structural problems, and the windows boarded up. For the next two years discussions took place to consider the future of the building which had been listed Grade II. However, on 4th November 2006, and before any plans could be put in place the whole edifice burned down completly.² The building was de-listed in 2010.³

In 1904 Percy Bacon and Brothers was commissioned to fill the three lancets in the east chancel wall with stained glass.

The Durham County Advertiser described the unveiling and dedication of the stained glass thus:

"UNVEILING AND DEDICATION OF STAINED GLASS WINDOW
"A handsome new stained glass window, erected in the east wall of St Nicholas' Parish Church, Hetton-le-Hole, was unveiled and dedicated on Thursday Night. The window has been erected at a cost of £300 by Mr Thomas Lamb, senior, brewer, of Hetton-le-Hole, a gentlemen by whose generosity the parish church has benefited on several occasions. When the church was pulled down and re-built three years ago, Mr Lamb came forward with a handsome gift of £1,000 to defray the cost of building the chancel. Subsequently the same generous donor made the parish a gift of a brass lectern, at a cost of £90, whilst now he has come forward with the present gift of the stained glass window for the east end. The window consists of three lights, the whole combined representing the transfiguration of our Lord. In all six figures are shown in the window, two in each light. These are Christ, St James, St Peter, St John, Moses and Elijah. The texts contained are: 'He is transfigured before them,' 'This is my Beloved Son,' and 'Hear ye Him.' The window which is of exquisite colouring, and is a splendid specimen of art, has been put in by Messrs Bacon Brothers, the well-known firm of London. The window was unveiled at the service on Thursday by Mr T. Lamb and the Rev. H. Steele (curate of St Ignatius, Sunderland), both grandsons of the donor..." ⁴

Although nothing is left of the church, the graveyard is still as it was prior to its demolition. The St Nicholas Centre website suggests that the building was being "converted into flats", but Google maps aerial view seems to show a levelled building. Further information on the history on the church and photographs (including one of the east window) can be found on the St Nicholas Centre website. The parish is now combined into St Michael and St Nicholas.

References: Use your browser's Back button to return to text.

Report in Northern Guardian (Hartlepool) - Tuesday 30 April 1901, p2. Western Morning News - Friday 03 May 1901, p3.
Website of the St Nicholas Centre.
Tyne & Wear Historic Environment Record. Front Street, Church of St. Nicholas.
Durham County Advertiser - Friday 15 July 1904 p2.

Location Map:

Map of St Saviour's Mission Church, Paark Street, Cheetham, Manchester

NGR: NZ 35337 47385
Church demolished. Graveyard still in situ.
Map published with permission of the National Library of Scotland under Creative Commons License CC-BY (NLS).