Hexham Abbey
Under the nave of Hexham Abbey is a set of small stone rooms built about 674, out of blocks the Romans had cut for their own buildings five centuries before. Above them stands a great Early English church of the canons who followed, with a night stair worn by their feet, a stone seat that may have been a Saxon bishop’s throne, and the tombstone of a Roman cavalryman. Few churches in England put so much history into one building.
Wilfrid's church and the canons' priory
In about 674 Queen Etheldreda gave land at Hexham to Wilfrid, Bishop of York, and he built a church that early writers thought the finest north of the Alps. He used stone from the ruins of the Roman frontier, and the crypt, which survives almost intact, is built of it. From 681 Hexham was the seat of a bishop. Viking raiders damaged the monastery in 875, and the bishopric came to an end in the ninth century.
In 1113 the Archbishop of York refounded the church as a priory of Augustinian canons, and between about 1170 and 1250 they built the choir, transepts and tower that stand today. Scottish raiders burned the priory in 1296. At the Dissolution of the 1530s the priory was suppressed and the church became the parish church of Hexham, which it still is. The east end was rebuilt in the nineteenth century, and the nave, which had been in ruins for centuries, was rebuilt in 1907–08 on the medieval plan and reconsecrated on 8 August 1908.
The visitor's cheat sheet
| Where | Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3NB, beside the market place |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Hexham station (Tyne Valley line, Newcastle–Carlisle) is about 10 minutes’ walk; public car parks in the town |
| Opening hours | Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 11.30am–5pm. Visiting may be limited during services and events |
| Admission | Free; donations welcome. The Big Story exhibition is also free |
| How long | About 1 hour, more with the exhibition |
| Best time | A weekday morning, then lunch in the Refectory café |
| Dress code | No formal code; respectful dress as in any working church |
| Tours | Guided tours for groups by arrangement; the crypt is reached by steep steps — ask at the welcome desk |
Hours and admission checked against the official site in October 2026. They change; the official site is always the last word.
Roman stones, Saxon church. Look closely at the walls of the crypt and you can see Roman mouldings, carved patterns and fragments of inscriptions on the reused blocks. One inscription names the emperor Septimius Severus and his sons. The 1,300-year-old rooms were forgotten for centuries and rediscovered by workmen in 1725.
What to see, in the order you meet it
The nave and the Flavinus stone
You enter through the nave, rebuilt in 1907–08. At the foot of the night stair in the south transept stands the tombstone of Flavinus, a standard-bearer in a Roman cavalry regiment who died aged twenty-five. It shows him on horseback, riding down a fallen enemy, and it is one of the finest Roman tombstones in Britain.
The night stair
The broad stone staircase in the south transept led from the canons’ dormitory straight into the church, so they could come down for services in the middle of the night. It is said to be the only medieval night stair still in daily use; the choir still processes down it. Climb a few steps for the view across the crossing.
The crypt
A steep stair from the nave leads down into Wilfrid’s crypt: a small chapel with an ante-chapel, side passages and stairways, built about 674 to hold relics and to let pilgrims file past them. It is one of the most complete Anglo-Saxon structures in England. The steps are steep and deep, so it is not accessible to everyone.
The choir and the frith stool
In the choir stands the frith stool, a stone chair carved from a single block in the seventh or eighth century, probably as a bishop’s seat. “Frith” means peace, and in the Middle Ages the stool was linked with the right of sanctuary. Around the choir are the abbey’s medieval painted panels, including the fifteenth-century Dance of Death, and the rood screen of about 1500. The organ, by Lawrence Phelps, was installed in 1974.
Acca's cross and the east end
Look also, in the south transept, for Acca’s Cross, reassembled from carved fragments and associated with Bishop Acca, Wilfrid’s successor, who died in 740 or 742. Outside, walk round to Beaumont Street to see the east end, with its tall lancets, rebuilt in the nineteenth century.
Tickets and tours
Free to visit
Entry to the abbey and to the Big Story exhibition is free. The Big Story, in the Parish Centre, tells the story of the site and displays the Hexham chalice, a tiny gilded cup of the Anglo-Saxon period. Guided tours for groups can be booked through the abbey; ask at the welcome desk about the crypt.
The hotel link goes to Booking.com. This site earns nothing from it at present — it is here because it is the quickest way to check what is actually available.
Don't miss
- The crypt Wilfrid’s rooms of about 674, built of Roman stone.
- The night stair Worn by the canons’ feet and still in use.
- The frith stool A Saxon stone seat linked with sanctuary.
- Flavinus A Roman cavalryman’s tombstone, inside a church.
- The painted panels Medieval saints and the Dance of Death.
- The Big Story The free exhibition next door, with the Hexham chalice.
Insider tips
Pair it with the Wall. Hexham is the natural base for the central section of Hadrian’s Wall, and the Roman town at Corbridge, a few miles east, is where much of the abbey’s stone is thought to have come from. Seeing the abbey first makes sense of both.
The abbey has a café, the Refectory, and a gift shop. Hexham’s market place, with its covered market, is right outside, and the Old Gaol, now a museum, is a short walk away.
Common questions
Is Hexham Abbey free to visit?
Yes. Entry is free and donations are welcome. The Big Story, the abbey’s exhibition in the Parish Centre next door, is free too.
Can you see the Saxon crypt?
The crypt Wilfrid built about 674 survives under the nave. It is reached by steep, deep steps and is the one part of the abbey that is not accessible to everyone; ask at the welcome desk about going down.
What is the frith stool?
A stone chair carved from a single block, made in the seventh or eighth century and probably used as a bishop’s seat. “Frith” means peace: in the Middle Ages it was linked with the right of sanctuary.
What is the night stair?
A broad stone staircase in the south transept, built so that the canons could come straight down from their dormitory to services in the night. It is said to be the only medieval night stair still in daily use, and choirs still process down it.
How do you get to Hexham Abbey?
Hexham station, on the Tyne Valley line between Newcastle and Carlisle, is about 10 minutes’ walk. The abbey stands on the edge of the market place in the town centre.
Where to stay and eat nearby
Hexham has cafés, pubs and restaurants around the market place, and hotels and inns in the town and the Tyne Valley.
More English churches
- Durham Cathedral — the shrine of St Cuthbert, an hour to the south-east
- Carlisle Cathedral — at the western end of the Tyne Valley line
- Ripon Cathedral — Wilfrid’s other crypt
See all the cathedrals and churches worth visiting in England →