St Paul, Witherslack

St Paul
Witherslack
Cumbria

The scattered village of Witherslack lays just off the A590, some twelve miles South West of Kendal. The aptly named Church Road runs past the church, which sits in a very spacious church yard. Built around 1669, the church's footprint remains pretty much as it was originally, except for the addition of a chamber off the chancel, probably built as a vestry in the 18th century.

The church was built according the terms of John Barwick's will, a local boy, born in Witherslack in 1612. John was the third of five sons, who went on to find fame as the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London. He was also a staunch Royalist, finding himself on the wrong side of Cromwell's Commonwealth Government on several occasions. Such was his reputation amongst Cromwell's government, that he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for nearly twelve months after working as a spy for the Royalist factions. He died in 1664, and was subsequently buried in St Paul's Cathedral. His will stated that the church be built in Witherslack, and be dedicated to St Paul, just as his beloved Deanery in London was. It was originally suggested that the church be built on top of Yewbarrow, a hill some quarter of a mile to the North East that overlooks the current site. This was vetoed by one vote, and the current site was eventually agreed upon.

A view of the chancel with the ten light window above the altar. The window contains small portions of stained glass dating from the original building of the church.

The church consists of a single wide chamber with no aisles, open from the nave to the chancel. The West tower, shown in the last photo in this post, has crenellations at its summit, and sits on a stepped plinth. In 1768, the church was heightened. The windows were increased in height to fill the wall space....hence the smaller lights above each one. During this period of repair, the ceiling and coving were added, as were the two columns (shown above) effectively dividing the chancel from the nave. The church saw further renovation and repair in 1861 and again in 1880, but it wasn't until the 20th century that it was electrified.

A view of the church looking back through the nave, towards the tower at the West end of the church. The Royal Arms of Queen Anne are on the wall on the left hand side, whilst the arms of the Barwick family (I think) can be seen on the left hand side. The arms show a muzzled bear, and although both plaques are slightly different, I think they show the arms of different branches of the family.

A view looking towards the East end of the church, with the chancel and altar. Note the two columns added in the 1768 renovation.

The photo above, shows the Royal Arms of Queen Anne, dated 1710.

These two plaques bear the coats of arms of different branches of the Barwick family.

The church tower.

The church was open on my visit, hence the photos of the interior, but I'm not sure if this is the case all the time. There is a limited amount of parking outside.

http://www.witherslack.org/lid/index.asp?intID=755 Check out this great community web site for all things related to Witherslack and the surrounding areas.

St Mary on the Hill, Chester

St Mary on the Hill
St Mary's Hill
Chester

The church of St Mary on the Hill, lays a few yards North of the castle in Chester, at the junction of St Mary's Hill and Castle Street. It can be found by walking North towards the city centre, cutting across the car park at the front of the castle.

This secluded church is a Grade I listed building, built during the latter part of the 14th and the early part of the 15th century, and is now home to the St Mary's Centre. It is no longer used for services. St Marys was one of nine original Medieval churches in Chester, and was one of the city's richest managing to maintain a certain independence from St Werbergh (today's cathedral)

The above photo shows the porch on the North side of the church.

The church was restored between 1861 and 1862 by James Harrison, and again, between 1890 and 1892 by J.P.Seddon. In the 1970's, it was converted into an educational centre, retaining its consecrated status. The link at the end of this post shows how richly decorated the interior is.

The photo above shows the West tower standing above the remnants of the castle's Eastern most ditch.

The church's graveyard was used to bury executed prisoners from the castle. However, none of the grave stones now mark the deceased's last resting place. All the stones have been taken down, broken up and used to make a wall round the path surrounding the church yard. Check the link for some great photos and additional information about this church. http://www.chestertourist.com/stmarys.htm

3 churches of York

3 churches of York.

York Minster.

The Minster in York dominates the Northern section of what was once the Roman city of Eburacum. The cruciform building (in the shape of a cross) has foundations that date back to the Roman occupation of Britain....indeed the under croft demonstrates these remains in displays of Roman foundations and wall paintings open to visitors. Otherwise, the church has Christian foundations from the 300's, although the first building was erected on this site in 627 for the baptism of the King of Northumbria at the time, Edwin. In 637, the largely wooden structure was replaced with a stone building by Oswald, with a dedication to St Peter. By 670, Oswald's church was in serious disrepair, until St Wilfrid obtained control over the see of York. St Wilfrid put into place a project of building and repair, that soon saw the church and the attached school as one of the largest and most important in Europe.

In 741 the church was totally destroyed by fire, but the rebuilt structure was all the more impressive, boasting a massive 30 altars. The church and the surrounding area were then subjected to invading Viking armies and Saxon kings and the chaotic political scene that manifested itself in the North of England as a result of the disunity engulfing the country at the time. It isn't until the 10th century that the history of the building emerges from the dust of this war-filled time, with a number of Benedictine Archbishops leading the church and its city onto bigger and better things.

In 1069, after the Norman invasion (1066) the church was again badly damaged, but a year later, the first Norman bishop arrived, and made the required repairs. In 1075, the Danes destroyed the church, and again it was rebuilt, with the building work commencing in 1080. This time, the church was built with Norman architectural influences, measuring 365 feet in length, and, so historical documents tell us, rendered in red and white. A fire seriously damaged this new building in 1137, the damage done was soon put to rights. The cathedral was eventually declared complete in 1472, and consecrated the same year.

Statue of the Roman Emperor Constantine outside the Minster.

Then, through the 1200's, and right into the 1550's, the church, or cathedral as it had become, was added to, redesigned and improved. The huge central tower was built with a wooden spire (I feel a fire coming on!!)

During the English Reformation, the crown sought to remove any signs of Roman Catholicism from church, with the removal and destruction of many tombs, the destruction of many of the original windows and some of the altars. During the Civil war, York was besieged by the Parliamentarian troops of Oliver Cromwell, eventually falling to his forces in 1644. Thomas Fairfax prevented the cathedral from being looted and indeed damaged. An interesting note here, is that Thomas Fairfax was the Parliamentarian that took Beetham Hall from the Cliffords in the same year as the siege of York, 1644.

From the early 1700's, right through to the 20th century, the cathedral has undergone several phases of restoration and consolidation, with recent work concentrating on the strengthening of the central tower and the foundations.

Holy Trinity, Goodramgate.

Situated a few yards off Goodramgate, the medieval church of Holy Trinity is all but hidden from the many shopping streets that surround it. First mentioned in 1082, the church is reported to have belonged to Durham Cathedral Priory. Soon after this time, the church, in whatever form it took at this early time, was passed to the control of the Archbishop of York, Walter de Gray. In 1236, the rector of the church was Gilbert Capel. He would most likely have taken charge of a small one room\single celled building. It wasn't until the 13th century, that building commenced on a 'proper' church. Portions of the earlier 12th century and the main 13th century buildings still remain buried deep in the fabric of the present church. Of the 12th century building, the window over the altar in the East of the church survives. Of the 13th century building, perhaps only a single pillar on the outer wall of the South of the church survives. The tower is from various stages of the 15th century, and the rest of the building dates from repairs carried out in 1823, and further repairs and restoration during the 19th century.

The interior of the church is furnished with 17th and 18th century box pews...much to my wife's delight...she was put in the 'naughty girl's pew' by our guide, and ridiculed by us all!!

Today the church is redundant, with only one or two services a year. It's well worth a visit, with the grave yard surrounding the church quiet and far-removed from the busy shopping streets a few feet away. The interior is cool and quiet again, and well worth visiting. We visited this church as one of the York history tours, which gives a good insight into the history of the building and its surroundings.

http://yorkholytrinity.org.uk/ Check the link out! The web site hosts a great history tour of the church, as well as news and events taking place at Holy Trinity.

St Michael le Belfry.

The church of St Michael le Belfry is sandwiched between Petergate and Minster Yard, and probably named for the belfry of York Minster only a few hundred yards away. Built between 1525 and 1537, the church was probably built on the site of an earlier church, possibly dating from the Norman invasion of 1066.

The church's main claim to fame, is that it holds the baptismal records of one Guido Fawkes....Guy Fawkes of the Gun Powder Plot fame....christened here in 1570.

Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh

Holyrood Abbey
Edinburgh
Scotland

The abbey at Holyrood lays behind the palace, hidden from view as you approach from down the Royal Mile. The ruins are impressive, and despite being a few yards from the city, they are quiet and undisturbed.

The abbey was built in 1128 at the behest of King David I of Scotland; after a scuffle with a stag, a vision and a dream, instructing him on his building quest!! He was rescued by Johannes and Gregan, two brothers from the Barony of Crawford in Strathclyde, who happened to be on hand when the King was attacked by a stag. He consequently knighted the brothers, and decided to found an abbey in the parks.

From the 15th century, the abbey was the chosen location for royal coronations, as well as numerous royal weddings. It was during a period called the Rough Wooing that took place between 1544 and 1551, that the abbey was attacked and looted twice by English forces. Henry VIII was furious that the Scots had reneged on the Treaty of Greenwich, by which the then infant Mary Queen of Scots, was promised in marriage to the young Prince of Wales, Edward. The Earl of Hertford, Edward Seymour first attacked the abbey in 1544, plundered its contents and left it badly damaged. He later led another raid on the abbey, causing even more damage to the buildings.

James VII established a College of Jesuits at Holyrood palace, and in 1688 converted the abbey to a Catholic chapel for the Order of the Thistle. The previous Protestant congregation were moved to another church on Canongate in 1691....Canongate Kirk. The kirk was built that same year, by the Scottish Politician and architect, James Smith.

Canongate Kirk.

In 1689 at the Glorious Revolution when William of Orange ascended the throne of England and Scotland, the protestant population broke into the grounds of the now Catholic chapel, and desecrated all the tombs and graves there, including the royal vaults. In 1691, Canongate Kirk became the parish church for the immediate area. The abbey was too badly damaged to be used.

In 1758, the abbey was rebuilt, with a new roof put in place. Ten years later, in 1768, a storm tore the roof off....and from that day on, the abbey was ruined. It remains today, as it probably appeared in 1768.

St Cuthbert, Aldingham

St Cuthbert
Aldingham
Cumbria

This beautiful church sits on the Western shores of Morecambe bay sheltered behind the sea wall.....a wall that has provided decades of protection against the relentless pounding of the sea. The village of Aldingham has gradually been washed away, so in a sense I think we're luck to still have this wonderful church today. The church, with its small car park, lays less than a mile to the North of the motte and bailey castle which also looks out over Morecambe Bay.

It is likely that the church was founded in around 1147; the surviving portions of this original building are thought to be the round pink sand stone arches and pillars that mark out the South arcade. An additional Norman arch has recently been discovered in the West wall of the South aisle.

Sometime in the early to mid 1200's, it's likely that the chancel was extended by around 15 feet.... but traces of the original chancel are still to be seen. The tower was probably built in the mid 1300's and at the same time most of the Norman windows were probably removed and replaced. Only one Norman window of this period remains.

A small scrap of Saxon cross has been found built into the east wall just below a window, possibly providing us with evidence of a much earlier church on this site. This cross fragment perhaps falls in line with legends that relate to the time when the monks of Lindesfarne brought relics of St Cuthbert to the England for safety from marauding Viking raiders. Sketchy evidence exists (from a local grave digger) that there are Viking burials on the North side of the grave yard, though there seems to be no documented evidence of any finds.

View of the 13th century chancel from the South.

A decorated grave slab can be seen in the chancel, possibly from the grave of Goditha of Scales. See this link http://cumbrianchurches.blogspot.com/2009/10/st-cuthbert-aldingham.html The floral design apparently suggests that this stone dates from the late 12th or early 13th century. The grave slab was discovered by the Reverend Dr Stonard when major rebuilding work was carried out on the North aisle in the 1840’s. It was during this period of rebuilding that the West door was opened up, the South porch was demolished, new pews were fitted, the nave was re-paved and a new ceiling was installed.

View of the Norman arch looking into the nave.

Two items of interest that should be searched for inside and outside the church. One is the squint, the hole in the wall that joins the nave and the South aisle. This enabled those sat in the aisle to see the vicar as he preached his sermon, and for the vicar to see the congregation. The leper hole in the East wall of the church, is clearly visible from the outside of the building, and also through to the interior just above the altar. Tradition would have us believe that the 'leper hole' was for undesirables to watch the services inside the church, without troubling those sat within the cost confines of the church.

View of the South aisle pillars, probably dating from the 1200's.

Interestingly, the church still retains some of its box pews....a rarity these days.

View of the Norman arch separating chancel from nave.

View of the squint looking from the chancel to one of the chapels.

The photo above shows the 'leper squint' from outside the church.

View down the nave towards the chancel.

The church is open most days for visitors to explore, and there is a small car park nearby.

St Mary of Furness, Barrow in Furness

St Mary of Furness
Duke Street
Barrow in Furness
Cumbria

This fabulous Victorian church is to be found on Duke Street, on the West side of Barrow. The church was founded in 1858 but wasn't opened for worship until some nine years later in 1867. Built to designs by E.W. Pugin, it was built on a site donated by the Duke of Devonshire. The building costs amounted to a grand total of £6000. The original church was built without a tower or a spire, check out the link for an early view of the church pre-spire at this web site.

( http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/BarrowinFurness/StMaryofFurness.shtml )

The steeple was added to the tower in 1888. All in all, the church was built to provide seating for eight hundred people, and with the organ, added in 1881, St Mary's became one of the focal points for Christian worship in Barrow. Although the church appears to be open for inspection, there are daily services during which you are not permitted entry unless taking part.

St James, Barrow in Furness

St James
Hindpool
Barrow in Furness
Cumbria

This magnificent red church, with its tall thin grey spire, can be found just off the A5087 where it meets the A590. It's a truly massive building and impossible to miss. Built between 1867 and 1869, and consecrated on Whit Sunday in 1869, it was the second Anglican church to be erected in Barrow. In May 1941, it was badly damaged in an air raid, but quickly repaired and re-opened.

It was built to accommodate 1000 worshippers, with all seats being free and available for anyone wanting to attend services here. The one hundred and fifty foot spire is visible from much of the town.

http://www.barrowstjames.org.uk/ This is the official web site of the church. The site on which the church was built, was gifted to the town by the Duke of Devonshire, whilst the money required for the materials and building work, were supplied by the Directors of the Iron and Steel works of Barrow in Furness. Edward Paley was contracted to design the building....yet another church in Cumbria for which he is responsible. It was during the early design phase of this church, the Edward Paley was joined by Herbert Austin....and the now famous partnership of Paley and Austin was formed. This was another church in this area that did not appear to be left open for inspection.