Building of the Month October 2022: Primitive Methodist Church, Church Street, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham TS18 1TW

This distinctive and highly individual building is studded with gargoyles on its upper levels and has an eye-catching front elevation with two roofed towers.  In fact at one time, this church was even more distinctive with polychromatic brick work creating a highly patterned façade.

The building is clearly being maintained but is empty and was for sale in the summer of 2021. It was advertised as a development opportunity, suggesting that it would be easy to demolish the church and citing the fact that the interior had already been demolished. It is not clear however whether it sold or not and, if so, what the new owners intend to do with it.

The building stands directly opposite a new Hilton Hotel which is part of regeneration work in the town. Many other buildings on this street are however from a much earlier time, with a number of dignified Georgian houses lining the street.  The church is just inside the Stockton Town Centre Conservation Area showing that it was identified as an important historic building in the town.