St Thomas' Church is in the village of

Crosscrake Crosscrake is a village in Cumbria, just off the M6 motorway, M6 Junction 36 in North West England, North West of England. It is located just South of Kendal on the A6 road (Great Britain), A6, between the villages/hamlets Stainton, South Lakela ...

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. Cumb ...

, England. It is an active

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

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, ...

in the Deanery of Kendal, the Archdeaconry of Westmorland and Furness, and the Diocese of Carlisle. The church was built in 1874–75, and was designed 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 ...

. It has since been modified but retains its

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style.

History

The Paley and Austin building replaced an earlier church of 1773, and cost about £3,000 (equivalent to £ in ). The church was supported by the Wakefield family of

Sedgwick House Sedgwick House may refer to: ;in the United Kingdom *Sedgwick House, Cumbria, built 1868 ;in the United States * Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick House, Cornwall, Connecticut, listed on the National Register of Historic Places *Sedgwick House (Bath, New Yo ...

in the parish. In 1885, composer

Mary Augusta Wakefield Mary Augusta Wakefield (19 August 1853 – 16 September 1910) was a British composer, contralto, festival organiser, and writer. Biography Early life Wakefield was born in Kendal, where her paternal ancestors had been members of the Quaker ...

and her sister Agnes organized a music festival to raise money for St. Thomas'. The festival continues today as Mary Wakefield Westmorland Festival (but no longer supports St. Thomas'). The internal furnishings are also by Paley and Austin. The church was provided with an organ by Wilkinson of Kendal which was rebuilt in the 1980s by the East Anglian firm Holmes & Swift. The stained glass in the east window dates from about 1890, and is by Clayton and Bell.

Modifications

Because of structural failure, the tower was reduced in 1944, and then removed completely in 1963. A shallow

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

was made to disguise this, and a spirelet was added.

Administration

Its

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

was united with that of St Patrick, Preston Patrick, although the latter parish is now served by the Kirkby Lonsdale

team ministry Vicar is a title given to certain parish priests in the Church of England and other Anglican churches. It has played a significant role in Anglican church organisation in ways that are different from other Christian denominations. The title is v ...

, whereas Crosscrake is in a group of parishes in the Kendal area (the Helm group).

References

Church of England church buildings in Cumbria Diocese of Carlisle Gothic Revival church buildings in England Gothic Revival architecture in Cumbria Paley and Austin buildings

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

{{UK-anglican-church-stub

History

Modifications

Administration

See also

References