St. Mary’s Church, which sits high above the River Tyne close to The Sage Gateshead, is to close to the public in September as part of a £1.2m plan to transform the building into Tyneside’s newest visitor attraction.

The interior of the Grade 1-listed church, which includes a number of modern internal walls, upper floors and galleries, will be completely stripped out to return it as far as possible to its former state. A brand new entrance will be created, along with new visitor facilities, a new reception area and an education centre.

The interior space will then be used as exhibition space for a series of interactive displays chronicling Gateshead’s – and St Mary’s – history, as well as other heritage-related events. The work will also include the construction of a discreet single storey extension in the northwest end of the building which will house new visitor and staff facilities.

Work to the external fabric of the building has been underway for some time, with careful restoration of the church’s perimeter walls and the Trollope mausoleum already complete.

The building is currently home to Gateshead Visitor Centre. The centre will continue to offer tourist information and gifts from temporary premises nearby whilst the work is carried out before moving back into the centre next year.

Councillor John McElroy, Cabinet member responsible for Culture, says: “St Mary’s Church is one of Gateshead’s oldest and most important historic buildings.

“Its light and airy interior makes this the perfect venue for a visitor centre devoted to Gateshead’s fascinating past. What’s more, its location high above the river means it can offer visitors some of the finest views of Tyneside.

“As Gateshead town centre prepares to embark on a period of major reconstruction, its only right that we safeguard and invest in our more historic structures, especially those so close to the Town Centre. Our work at St Mary’s will demonstrate the Council’s commitment to improving Gateshead whilst celebrating and preserving its heritage.”

St. Mary’s Church has witnessed many changes during its 900 year history. One of Gateshead’s last remaining links to its medieval past, until 1857 it was the only Anglican church in Gateshead and was therefore considered as the “mother church” of Gateshead. It was also the only place in Gateshead where you could get married!

Much of the building was destroyed in a fire in 1979

Work begins on the interior of the building in September this year and is expected to take around nine months.