What is Hexham Abbey?
[[File:Hexham Abbey.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hexham Abbey]] [[File:Hexham Abbey outside 3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|another view]] [[File:Inside Hexham Abbey Hexham United Kingdom.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Inside Hexham Abbey]] '''Hexham Abbey''' is an [[Anglican]] [[church]] in the town of Hexham, [[Northumberland]], dedicated to [[Saint Andrew|St Andrew]]. Since the [[Dissolution of the monasteries]] in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham. The Abbey, which was a [[cathedral]] in [[Saxon]] times, is part of the [[Diocese of Newcastle]]. The diocese is based in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], and includes the historic county of Northumberland in northeast [[England]]. ==History== There has been a church on this site for over 1300 years since [[Etheldreda]], Queen of Northumbria, made a grant of lands c.674. The [[Benedictine]] abbey was built almost entirely of stones from nearby Roman ruins. The [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] crypt still remains; as does a ''frith'' stool, a 7th/8th century 'cathedra' or throne.<ref name=ba-n060-0801>{{cite web|url=http://www.britarch.ac.uk/BA/ba60/feat2.shtml|publisher=British Archaeology|title=Old ruins, new world|access-date=2010-08-25|archive-date=2012-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523191948/http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba60/feat2.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the year 875 Halfdene the Dane ravaged the whole of Tyneside and Hexham Church was plundered and burnt to the ground.<ref name=Graham>{{cite book | last = Graham | first = Frank | authorlink = | title = Hexham and Corbridge: a short history and guide | publisher = Butler Publishing | year = 1992 | location = Thropton, Rothbury, Northumberland | pages = | isbn = 0-946928-19-3 }}</ref> About 1050 one Eilaf was put in charge of Hexham, although as treasurer of Durham, he probably never came there. Eilaf was instructed to rebuild Hexham Church which then lay in utter ruin. His son Eilaf II completed the work probably building in the Norman style.<ref name=Graham /> In Norman times, the old abbey was r