The Parish Church, Kirkby Stephen is an Anglican parish church in

Kirkby Stephen Kirkby Stephen () is a market town and civil parish in Cumbria, North West England. Historically part of Westmorland, it lies on the A685, surrounded by sparsely populated hill country, about from the nearest larger towns: Kendal and Penri ...

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 ...

. The Church is Shared between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Population of Kirkby Stephen, holding both Anglican Communion and Roman Catholic Mass.

History

Kirkby Stephen Parish Church is often called the "Cathedral of the Dales" and, in Cumbria, only

Kendal Parish Church Kendal Parish Church, also known as the Holy Trinity Church due to its dedication to the Holy Trinity, is the Anglican parish church of Kendal, Cumbria, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade ...

is larger. There have been three churches on this site. The first was built in Anglo-Saxon times; it was replaced in 1170 by a

Norman church The term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used fo ...

. This was replaced by the present building in 1240 and has been altered in the centuries since, being partly rebuilt in 1847 and restored in the 1870s. It is a Grade II* listed building. The church is approached from the market square, where it is almost hidden from view by the

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

s, built in 1810. The Church has no official dedication. There is no factual basis to support either reference to St Stephen or to the other rumoured previous dedication to St John. However, the church is often referred to as 'St Stephen's Church', with reference to the place-name of Kirkby Stephen. The Church has a

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

of 8 bells, with the tenor weighing 15 cwt and tuned to F; all except the 7th bell were cast by John Warner & Sons of London in 1877, the 7th was cast by Edward Seller in 1849.

Parish

The church is in a joint parish with: *

St Andrew's Church, Crosby Garrett St Andrew's Church is in the village of Crosby Garrett, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Appleby, the archdeaconry of Carlisle, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with those of Kirkby ...

*St Mary's Church,

Mallerstang Mallerstang is a civil parish in the extreme east of Cumbria, and, geographically, a dale at the head of the upper Eden Valley. Originally part of Westmorland, it lies about south of the nearest town, Kirkby Stephen. Its eastern edge, at Aisg ...

The Parish Church is also the home of the Roman Catholic congregation, following an official sharing agreement entered into in 1990. LokiStone England

Memorials

The north or Wharton chapel has a late sixteenth-century altar tomb with effigies of

Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton Sir Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton (1495 – 23 August 1568) was an English nobleman and a follower of King Henry VIII of England. He is best known for his victory at Solway Moss on 24 November 1542 for which he was given a barony. Early lif ...

(1495-1568) and his 2 wives. The south or Hartley chapel has an early fifteenth-century altar tomb with an effigy of Sir Richard Musgrave (died 1409), and a fifteenth-century altar tomb to Sir Richard Musgrave (died 1464). It is dedicated to St Paul. The most important monument in the church is a relief of the

Norse god In Germanic paganism, the indigenous religion of the ancient Germanic peoples who inhabited Germanic Europe, there were a number of different gods and goddesses. Germanic deities are attested from numerous sources, including works of literature ...

Loki, who is shown bound and chained (pictures above). It was part of an Anglo-Saxon cross shaft.

Organ

The church contains a three manual pipe organ dating from 1888. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkby Stephen Church of England church buildings in Cumbria Grade II* listed churches in Cumbria St Stephen's Church

History

Parish

Memorials

Organ

See also

References