IN the 1860s, Darlington's population was exploding northwards. In 1862, a temporary mission church was built by William Thompson, a director of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, in North Road, to serve the new parish of St Paul's.

In 1868, the Reverend Edmund Hutchinson was appointed as the first vicar, and Mr Thompson - who has a street named after him a little further north - donated £1,000 to build a proper church.

Thomas Barningham, of the Darlington Iron Company, gave some of the land on North Road, and well-known local architect JP Pritchett was called in to draw up plans.

The industrialist David Dale, who cropped up in last week's Echo Memories, gave an address as Mr Thompson laid the foundation stone on June 11, 1870. To complete the task, Mr Thompson used a mallet made of old oak, which had been removed from St Cuthbert's Church, and an inscribed silver trowel.

It took a further two years to complete the work because of legal difficulties "arising from defects that have been found connected with the legal matters in the transfer of the land upon which the church has been built". Solicitors' fees, presumably, accounted for the bulk of the £4,000 professional fees which plunged the church into debt before it had opened - the building materials cost only £3,304 16s 7d.

It was formally opened on April 14, 1872, "a very beautiful, substantial and commodious edifice", said The Northern Echo.

It was consecrated on September 19, 1872, and had gas lighting installed in 1884. In 1911, Mr Barningham gave it a clock for its 130ft spire, and in 1915 its oak ceiling and stonework were renovated. In 1922, it celebrated its 50th birthday by having electric lighting installed.

By the 1960s, though, it was suffering from severe structural problems, and a dwindling congregation. In the early 1970s, the decision was made to amalgamate it with St Mark's, a little further up North Road. St Paul's would be demolished by 1975.

Four arsonists, aged between ten and 14, brought the timetable forward. On the evening of Sunday, November 25, 1973, they broke in - possibly by burrowing into the foundations.

They were armed with candles, and dripped molten wax on to a beam. Eventually, it began to smoulder. They rushed outside and the 14-year-old piled some leaves against a door, and set fire to them.

Some time after midnight, the blaze caught and, by the time firefighters arrived, the flames could be seen all over town.

It took 20 of them and five appliances two hours to bring it under control, but the church was destroyed.

Echo Memories' interest in St Paul's was rekindled when Ron Douthwaite, of St Paul's Place - the houses which have been built on the church site - asked if there had been a graveyard there.

We will provide an answer next week - and, just like the Reverend Jardine, it will be controversial.

l If you have memories of St Paul's Church, please write to Echo Memories, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington DL1 1NF, e-mail chris.lloydage, preac