Bentham, St John the Baptist

St John the Baptist
Bentham
North Yorkshire

This church can be found on the West bound B6480 in Low Bentham. There are records indicating a church on this site in 1086, when the Domesday book was written, naming the village as Benetain. Bentham was another of the Northern towns and villages that were raised to the ground by the Scottish army, fresh from their victory at Bannockburn in 1314, and whatever church there was here, was probably totally destroyed. Records state that it was another 26 years (1340) before a new church was built, and it is the tower that we see today, that pretty much reflects the rebuilding.

Local legend tells of a mile long tunnel that links the church with Robert Hall, a late 15th, early 16th century manor house that lays to the South West of the church.

The church has undergone three periods of rebuilding and redesign. The first, in 1822, cost £430, and unfortunately meant that much of the medieval fabric of the church was built over or removed. The chancel and the tower remained, fairly intact. The walls were raised up by around 20 feet, the roof was rebuilt, and new reading desks and a pulpit were installed. Three galleries were also added. The second period took place in 1876. Again, the chancel and the tower escaped any drastic action, but the 1822 galleries were removed. The chancel was extended and additional seating for around 210 people was installed. The vestry was rebuilt, as was the nave, all at a cost of around £5483. The third period took place in 1884, with a new rectory being added to the church.

There are a number of interesting artifacts hidden about the church.

The various shards of masonry are undated, but could represent Anglian cross remains, just like at Kendal Parish church.

The above photo shows part of a Saxon cross, estimated to be around 1000 years old. It was found during the 1876 rebuild\restoration, and was originally built into the East wall of the church’s tower, plastered over and therefore hidden from view. The carving shows the crucified Christ, with very slender and simple arms spread in a cross.

The Kirkbeck stone, shown above, is probably an old memorial stone. The word Kirkbeck, could relate to a house that lays about a mile to the South of the church. The stone was found in the River Wenning, and has been dated to the mid 17th century.

Luckily for me, the church was open upon my visit, so I was able to get a good look around.

Bentham Church's web site.

Whittington, St Michael

St Michael the Archangel
Whittington
Lancashire

The small village of Whittington can be found about 2 miles South of Kirkby Lonsdale on the B6254. The church can be found on the road that leads out of the village, West towards Burton in Kendal. There is parking at the side of the road, and the church can be seen immediately to your left, high up on the brow of a steep hill. This hill is in fact the remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle....with some historical records claiming that it could predate the Norman invasion, and could have been a Saxon moote, a meeting place, later adopted and adapted by the Norman invaders.

Overwhelmingly though, the mound appears to be the remains of the Norman castle here, and in all likely-hood, the church is built over the bailey of the castle. The photo above, is taken from the fields below the church and the motte, looking North. The ditches and banks, marking the defensive boundaries of the motte have disappeared, but most likely followed the course of the wall at the top of the field (shown above)

The photo above, is taken from the bottom of the motte, looking East towards the church tower. The motte looks more pronounced from this angle.

The oldest part of the church is the tower, thought to have been built in the late 15th or early 16th century, although records state that there was a church on this site possibly from as early as the 12th century. The tower stands to a height of 50 feet, and contains a niche with a statue of the Good Shepherd. The tower contains a pele of 6 bells. They date as follows: The treble from 1739. The second from 1754. The third, fourth and fifth from 1875. The tenor is an 1875 recasting of a bell from 1673.

The photo above, shows (not too clearly on this photo) the indentation of a swinging draw bar. This is a gradual cut in the stone face of the jam of the door, and would probably have been used to secure the church from the inside. Instead of the door being secured by a sliding draw bar, as at Kirkby Lonsdale and Melling, this would have swung from above, and rested on the shallow sill of the cut in the stone work.

The photo above, shows the tower door with the bell ropes hanging down in front of it. The door almost has the look of an iron and wood yett. The thickness of the tower walls can clearly be seen here.

A view looking East towards the chancel and the altar, and the stained glass window inserted during the 1875 restoration of the church by Colonel D.C. Greene. During this restoration, the church was almost completely rebuilt.

Royal arms of King George III (I think!!)

View of the altar in the Chancel, including the window of 1875.

A view back towards the tower, with the Victorian font just visible.

The sundial that stands on the summit of the motte, is probably mounted in the stepped base of a cross base.

Melling, St Wilfrid

St Wilfrid
Melling
Lancashire

On the A683, the tiny village of Melling has both a beautiful medieval church, and the remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle.

This is yet another church in this small area that resides in the grounds of the castle's remains. Probably built on the site of the bailey, traces of which were probably swallowed up by the graveyard, the motte survives in the garden of the vicarage next door. Remains of a Saxon cross, found in the grounds of the church, probably suggest that this has been the site of a church or chapel since the 10th century.

A fine Norman arch is to be found in the northern entrance to the church, further strengthening the church's claim to great age. In 1858, during some rebuilding work, some more Norman stonework was found in the wall next to a window. The stonework consisted of typical Norman zig-zag moulding, probably representing the remains of a doorway. The oldest identifiable part of the church is the West window of the South aisle, dating from the 13th century. This window may have been moved from its original position however, and probably doesn't represent the original 12th\13th century layout of the church.

The above photo shows the squint that can be found in the South Eastern chapel, affording a narrow view into the chancel.The church was allegedly seriously damaged after the Scots, under Robert the Bruce, raided the Lune valley in 1322, and there is evidence to suggest that elements of the arcades within the church bear the scars of both the raid and the subsequent rebuilding that took place. The 15th century South Aisle wall, contains a very deep draw bar slot in the door way, some four feet thick at its deepest point.

This portion of the wall dates from the 15th century, a similar date to the wall containing the draw bar slot at St Mary's in Kirkby Lonsdale.

The church tower dates from the 15th century and has a peal of six bells, all of which were recast from the original 15th century bells in 1754.

Indeed, the church as a whole seems to have been much rebuilt during the 15th century, and the layout internally and externally seems to represent this period.

In 1763, the church was re-roofed and a brand new clerestory added to both the Nave and the Chancel.

A new plaster ceiling was also added at this time, but was removed in 1856 when further renovation took place.

The clock, high in the West wall of the tower, was constructed by Edward John Dent, who was also responsible for the construction of the great clock of the Palace of Westminster in London.

In the 18th century, the church was re-dedicated to St Peter, returning to its original dedication to St Wilfrid in 1895 by Canon Grenside.

Arkholme, St John the Baptist

St John the Baptist
Arkholme
Lancashire

On the B6254, and about three miles South of Whittington, the small village of Arkholme is home to yet another church built over the site of a small Norman motte and bailey castle.

There has been a church on the site from at the very least, the 1450's, when the village was known as Erwhum.

The present church probably contains elements of this earlier church, although the building we see today is a result of restoration that took place in 1766 and 1788.

The windows throughout date from the 19th century, and probably replace earlier windows from the 1766 and 1788 restorations....which in turn, probably replaced earlier windows.

One of the south aisle capitals, has 15th century stone carvings, but these appear to have been roughly chiseled so that any design or pattern on them is now rendered virtually invisible.

One of the better carvings shows a hare being chased by a dog, although I'm not sure which one of the above photos shows this scene. The church building probably occupies the site of the castle's bailey, although here, as at Whittington, all traces of ditches and ramparts have long since vanished.

The motte however, is a spectacular remain, standing to around 25 feet tall. The remains of a ditch may follow the course of the footpath that runs to the south of the church.

The base of a medieval cross can be found in the church yard.

St Leonard, Chapel Le Dale

St. Leonard’s,

Chapel–le-Dale,

Nr Ingleton,

North Yorkshire

St. Leonard’s church sits in a small woodland area in the hamlet of Chapel-le-Dale, about two miles outside of Ingleton, just off the B6255.

It is a grade II listed building, built in the late 17th century with some 18th century additions. According to English Heritage, it was vastly restored in 1869. There is some suggestion (largely by Peter F Ryder) that the church contains masonry from as early as the late 16th century....the evidence for this dating largely based on the blocked window that can be seen on the South wall. It is of a different type of window to all the others found in the church, consisting of two upright jambs...a simple late medieval window form. No other masonry in this small chapel appears to be of this period though. There is documentary evidence of a chapel in this area (possibly an earlier building on this site) from 1595, which mentions the "chapel of Wyersdaile". Peter Ryder also states that it is mentioned again in 1618, this time with the name "the chapel of Witfalls"

The church is built using local limestone, giving it its ‘local’ grey colour. There is a white marble memorial on the West wall of the Nave which reads: "TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO THROUGH ACCIDENTS LOST THEIR LIVES, IN CONSTRUCTING THE RAILWAY WORKS, BETWEEN SETTLE, AND DENT HEAD. THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED AT THE JOINT EXPENSE, OF THEIR FELLOW WORKMEN AND THE MIDLAND RAILWAY COMPANY 1869 TO 1876"

This is dedicated to the workers who perished during the building of the Settle to Carlisle railway, and also those who built the viaduct at Ribblehead. The church was renovated in 1743, when the south door seen today, was most likely constructed. The single bell has a date of 1793 inscribed on it, possibly pointing to the date the small bell-cote was added. The restoration mentioned at the beginning of this article, was undertaken by Ebenezer Smith. It was this period of refurbishment that presented the chapel in the form it takes today.

I'd recommend a visit to this beautiful chapel. I'm not sure if it's open daily for investigation, but there is ample parking nearby, and the scenery here is some of North Yorkshire's finest.

St Mary, Ingleton

St Mary’s church,

Ingleton,

North Yorkshire

St. Mary’s church sits in the middle of the North Yorkshire village of Ingleton, overlooking the rivers Twiss and Doe where they converge to form the river Greta.

Above. St Marys from Main Street....perhaps around the 1950s (from personal collection)

Above. The South face of the church.

The church is a grade two listed building, and several stages of construction and re-building are in evidence.

Above. The tower, probably the oldest part of the church standing today.

The tower is predominantly of late medieval construction, dating from the 15th century, whilst the rest of the building dates to around 1886. The building we see today, is probably the result of a huge rebuilding project that took place at this time, probably replacing an earlier chapel that dated from 1743, and following designs by C.E. Tate.

Above. Looking down the nave towards the tower.

The church is built on a West-East axis, with the tower to West of the site, and the altar and main stained glass window to the East.

Above. Looking down the nave into the Chancel.

Inside, the church is three aisles wide, with chorister stalls to the East of the building.

Above. A window in the South wall.

The dedication reads "To the glory of god and in dear memory of Joseph and Margaret Bentham, late of Yanham House Ingleton, their six sons and four daughters.

Above. The second window in the South wall.

There are reputedly undated and as yet unidentified wall paintings behind the chorister stalls, but I have not seen these.

Above. A small stained glass window in the wall separating the nave from the tower.

The font is of particular interest. It is of Norman origin, and was thrown down the embankment to the West of the church yard , allegedly, by Parliamentarian forces, where it lay for some years.

It was rescued at some point, and used for mixing plaster. It has now been restored to its correct position within the church. It's presence in the church suggests that there was an earlier church on the site. There are a number of rare chest tombs in the churchyard, dating from the 1760's and 1770's, all grade II listed.

St Marys also apparently possesses a rare 'vinegar' bible...so named due to the misnaming of a chapter as "The parable of the vinegar" instead of "The parable of the vineyard" and dating from 1717.

An interesting note regarding the pews in the church. If you have some spare time and want a challenge....look for the small carved mice hidden about the church. There are quite a few of them. The mice are apparently trade marks of the Gillow furniture makers of Lancaster.