St Catherine's Church is in the village of
Boot,
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. C ...
, England. It is the
Anglican parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of
Eskdale, Cumbria
Eskdale is a glacial valley and civil parish in the western Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It forms part of the Borough of Copeland, and in 2001 had a population of 264, increasing to 304 at the 2011 Census.
One of the Lake D ...
, and is in the deanery of Calder, the
archdeaconry of West Cumberland, and the
diocese of Carlisle
The Diocese of Carlisle was created in 11 April 1132 by Henry I out of part of the Diocese of Durham, although many people of Cumbric descent in the area looked to Glasgow for spiritual leadership. The first bishop was Æthelwold, who was the k ...
. Its
benefice is united with those of Irton, St Paul,
Muncaster, St Michael, and
St John, Waberthwaite.
The church is recorded in the
National Heritage List for England
The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, a ...
as a designated Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
It stands by the side of the
River Esk.
[
]
History
A church has been on the site since the 6th century.[ Local legend says that a 7th-century hermit lived near the church and established a holy well on Arment Hill; the same well is still used to draw water for baptisms.]Egremont Castle
Egremont Castle is located in the town of Egremont, Cumbria ().
History
The original castle was built on a mound above the River Ehen on the site of a Danish fort following the conquest of Cumberland in 1092 by William II of England. The pres ...
. The font is 14th- century and is carved with the symbol of a St Catherine's Wheel. The east window is also from the 14th century.
The present church dates from the 14th century, with later alterations and additions.[ It was ]restored
''Restored'' is the fourth
studio album by American contemporary Christian music musician Jeremy Camp. It was released on November 16, 2004 by BEC Recordings.
Track listing
Standard release
Enhanced edition
Deluxe gold edition
Standard ...
in 1881 by the Lancaster architects Paley and Austin
Sharpe, Paley and Austin are the surnames of architects who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, between 1835 and 1946, working either alone or in partnership. The full names of the principals in their practice, which went under vario ...
. They reseated the church, increasing its accommodation to 126, and added a vestry
A vestry was a committee for the local secular and ecclesiastical government for a parish in England, Wales and some English colonies which originally met in the vestry or sacristy of the parish church, and consequently became known colloquiall ...
, at a cost of £750 (equivalent to £ in ).
In the churchyard is a gravestone commemorating Thomas Dobson (died 1910), who was master of the Eskdale and Ennerdale Foxhounds for 53 years. Known as the "Huntsman's Grave", the stone is carved with Dobson's huntsman's horn and two projecting heads, one of a fox and one of a hunting dog.
Architecture
Exterior
St Catherine's is constructed in random rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture; undressed especially as a filling-in. Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as 'brash' (compare cornbrash)."Rubble" def. 2., "Brash n. 2. def. 1. ''Oxford English Dictionar ...
. It has a slate roof with a stone ridge. The church has a simple plan, consisting of a single cell in four bays, and a south porch. At the west end is a gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
d double bellcote
A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...
, and there is a cross on the apex of the east end. The side windows are mainly 19th-century replacements of earlier windows, and are mullion
A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...
ed.[ The east window has three lights and contains Decorated-style ]tracery
Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support the ...
.
Interior
Inside the church is an octagonal font; its bowl has low-relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
carving on each face. On the south wall of the church is a benefactors' board dated 1798.[ All the stained glass dates from between 1889 and 1896. The glass in the east and west windows is by Gibbs and Company, and that on the north and south sides is by A. Savell and Company.][ The glass in the east window depicts Saint Catherine, the ]Good Shepherd
The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...
, and Saint Cecilia. Windows on the south side of the church depict the Annunciation, and on the north side the Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
.
See also
* Listed buildings in Eskdale, Cumbria
*List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
Paley and Austin was the title of a practice of architects in Lancaster, Lancashire, Lancaster, Lancashire, England, in the 19th century. The practice had been founded in 1836 by Edmund Sharpe. The architects during the period covered by t ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boot, St Catherine's Church
Diocese of Carlisle
Church of England church buildings in Cumbria
Grade II listed churches in Cumbria
Paley and Austin buildings
English Gothic architecture in Cumbria