St. Kentigern's Church, Aspatria
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St Kentigern's Church stands in the village of
Aspatria Aspatria is a town and civil parish in the non-metropolitan district of Allerdale, and is currently embraced in the Parliamentary constituency of Workington, Cumbria, England. Historically within Cumberland the town rests on the north side of t ...
, Cumbria, 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 in the rural deanery of Maryport, the archdeaconry of Carlisle and the diocese of Carlisle. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is dedicated to
St Kentigern Kentigern ( cy, Cyndeyrn Garthwys; la, Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow. Name In Wales and England, this s ...
, the apostle of Strathclyde, whom it is believed passed by and preached at the Holy well, on his way into exile in Wales, in the 6th century. He was also known as Mungo, which means good friend.


History

After the Norman Conquest the church was given by the first Lord of Allerdale to the
prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...
and convent of
Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
, which grant was confirmed by Henry II, and
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...
. It was formerly rectorial, but later became a
vicarage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically own ...
, the advowson of which has always belonged to the
Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York. The diocese covers the county of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District. The see is in the city of Car ...
, whom the great tithes were appropriated until the year 1812, when under the instruction of a local
Enclosure Act The Inclosure Acts, which use an archaic spelling of the word now usually spelt "enclosure", cover enclosure of open fields and common land in England and Wales, creating legal property rights to land previously held in common. Between 1604 and 1 ...
; allotments of land were given in lieu of tithes to the appropriator and vicar. Records relating to the old Norman church are sparse, although in 1703 Bishop William Nicolson left a full written description. When Sir Walter Scott visited Aspatria in the early part of the 19th century he included two engravings of the Norman arches in his Border Antiquities of 1814. The
parish registers A parish register in an ecclesiastical parish is a handwritten volume, normally kept in the parish church in which certain details of religious ceremonies marking major events such as baptisms (together with the dates and names of the parents), ma ...
commenced in 1660. The present Aspatria church dedicated to St Kentigern stands upon the site of an older
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 ...
, which when found too small for the rapidly increasing population of the parish was taken down and replaced by the existing edifice. This in turn had replaced at least one wooden structure of
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
origin dating back to the 6th or 7th century and a pre Norman stone building of unknown origin. The foundation stone was laid on 23 July 1846, with full Masonic ceremonial; and consecrated by the
Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York. The diocese covers the county of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District. The see is in the city of Car ...
on 6 June 1848. The total cost of the build was £3,180, half of which was raised by voluntary subscription.


Architecture


Exterior

The church is in the early English style and finished in the manner of a
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
town church. It consists of a nave, side aisles, chapel, chancel, south facing porch, vestry, and western tower, surmounted with parapets and
pinnacle A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was mainly ...
s. The building is constructed from local red sandstone, with a roof made with
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
. The architects for the new church were Messrs. Travis and Mangnall, who preserved the chief architectural features of the old church and incorporated them into the design of the new building. The builders were Messrs. McKay and Blackstock. The designers reconstructed the Norman doorway which they used as the entrance to the vestry, placing another in the base of the tower. In the west end of the church, between the vestry and the tower they retained the old chancel arch, which is a fine example of what is called a dog-tooth type of decoration. They also retained and restored the Musgrave chapel. The tower is square and has a higher-stair turret at its north-east corner. The nave is lofty with six-bay arcades and small
clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
. The whole is beautifully proportioned with a high roof full of light.


Interior

The internal dimensions of the church are:- nave 22 metres by 12,2 metres; chancel 9.2 metres by 4.9 metres.
Piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
circular and multiangular alternatively. The
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
made of stone, is on the north side of the chancel arch, and the reading desk is on the south side. The pews are open and uniform, with finials at the end. There are fine well executed
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
windows, containing the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension with sacred devices and monograms. The window in the Musgrave Chapel contains the arms of the Musgrave family and others. It was given by Sir George Musgrave of Eden Hall, and Sir James Musgrave of Barnsley Park, Gloucester. There is also a window in the south side of the chancel, to the memory of the Rev. E. Thompson, vicar of the parish. In time additional items appeared. In 1875, a local resident named Sarah Langcake, dedicated a new
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
at a cost of £200. A year Later, Mrs Powell, the widow of an earlier vicar, paid £120 for a clock to be placed in the tower, as a memorial to her late husband. She also paid for one of the bells, when the parishioners, the children, and Sir Wilfrid and Lady Lawson collaborated in 1898, to provide a peel of eight bells at a cost of £598. In 1899 a sum of £220 was paid for providing a heating system for the church. The terrier or inventory of church properties of 1749, which was signed by John Brisco, vicar, gives the following, one silver chalice with paten; and one silver cup with paten. There is also a modern set of Newcastle silver plate, consisting of a flagon, cup and paten, all dated 1840.


The Musgrave chapel

Enclosed in the Musgrave chapel are several monuments relating to the
Musgrave family The Musgrave family was a prominent Anglo-Scottish Border family with many descendants in the United States of America, Australia and the United Kingdom a so-called Riding or Border Reivers, Reiver clan of Cumberland and Westmorland. The earliest ...
, particularly
Sir Richard Musgrave, 2nd Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...
(1650-1710), who accompanied Sir Joseph Williamson at the treaty of Ryswick, and was one of the knights of the shire. There is also a plaque to the memory of his grandson, Sir Richard Musgrave, Hylton 5th baronet (1724-1755). The plaque to the memory of Sir William Musgrave, 6th baronet (1735-1800) reads as follows. ::"This monument was erected in memory of Sir William Musgrave, the sixth baronet of his family, and son of Sir Richard Musgrave, by Anne Hylton: the truest encomium of him will be found in the following synopsis of his well spent life. He was born at
Hayton Castle Hayton Castle is a fortified house situated to the North-East of the village of Hayton in Cumbria. Preface The castle is a 14th- or 15th-century tower house; extended in the 16th and 17th centuries and converted into a house. Hayton Castle is a ...
in this parish, 8th October 1735: after the usual time spent in scholastic education, chiefly at
Houghton-le-Spring Houghton-le-Spring ( ) is a town in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North East England which has its recorded origins in Norman times. Historically in County Durham, it is now administered as part of the Tyne and Wear county. It is s ...
, in the county of Durham: he was entered of the Middle Temple 7th April 1753, succeeded to the title of baronet on the death of his elder brother Sir Richard Musgrave, June 1755, was called to be a
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
of the law 5th May 1758, was married to Isabella, daughter of William Lord Byron, and relict of Henry Earl of Carlisle, 10th December 1759; was appointed one of the
commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
s for managing the revenue of customs, 15th March 1763; was elected one of the fellows of the R. S. of London, 14th March 1775; was elected one of the fellows of the society of A. of London, 12th November 1778; was appointed one of the Vice Presidents of the Royal Society of London 1780; was elected one of the trustees of the British Museum, to which he was also a
benefactor Benefactor may refer to: * ''Benefactor'' (album), a 1982 album by Romeo Void * Benefactor (law) for a person whose actions benefit another or a person that gives back to others * Benefication (metallurgy) In the mining Mining is the ext ...
, 1783; was appointed one of the commissioners for auditing the public accounts, July 1785; was appointed one of the Vice Presidents of the Society of Arts 1786; was called to be a Bencher of the Middle Temple, 25th May 1789; was appointed reader of the Middle Temple 1795, and afterwards elected treasurer of the same. Having filled all the above mentioned employments with ability and integrity, he died without issue, 3d January 1800; aged 65, and is deposited in St. James's Church London." There is also a monument to the memory of Sir Thomas Musgrave, 7th Baronet, who died in the month of December 1811. He left a sum of £10 per annum for the purpose of keeping the chapel in repair, and the monuments of himself and his ancestors clean; food was to be bought with any surplus and distributed amongst the poor of the parish. There is also a monument to commemorate the life of Sir Richard Musgrave, 4th Baronet, (1701-1739), which is fixed to the outside of the church.


Antiquities


The font

The date of the
Font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...
is unknown. However at the time of the Reformation it was grossly defaced and discarded, surplus to requirements. The wreckers had made large holes in each side and greatly defaced the
ornamentation An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration *Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts *Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve on ...
. When
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 ...
at a later date the
craftsmen Craftsman may refer to: A profession *Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative * Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take ...
filled in the holes with plaster, reproduced the defaced ornamentation and added new pillars. They then applied a yellow pigment to hide the defects and covered the upper surface of the bowl with lead. The Font now stands on an
octagon In geometry, an octagon (from the Greek ὀκτάγωνον ''oktágōnon'', "eight angles") is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, whi ...
al base. In 1903, it was moved from a position under the west arch and now stands in the Baptistery. It is almost one metre in height and about sixty centimetres in diameter. On the west side are four double leafed ornaments; on the north and south sides there are three larger single leaf ornaments, and on the east is a winged
demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
with head bent down, closed wings and a curled and forked tail, each part of which ends in a
serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...
-like head, surrounded with fruit and leaves, and with a leaf in its mouth. The design is supposed to inculcate the idea that the evil spirit is expelled during the baptism of the child.


Pre Norman crosses

Several ancient crosses and grave slabs have been carefully preserved in the church, the description of which is largely from the research carried out by the Rev. William Slater Calverley, vicar from 1885 to 1888. Some of these remains are built into the boundary wall of the
churchyard In Christian countries a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster-Scots, this can also ...
while others are in the vestry. One of the fragments contains the
swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
, the emblem of eternity. It is considered to have been carved in the middle part of the fifth century.


The spiral crosses

There are two shafts belonging to two spiral crosses, both are carved from white sandstone and each in two parts. One is 1.15 metres high and 40 centimetres wide. The top piece has plait-work in sham double strands; with bosses in every available place. The bottom piece holds a carved
swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
. The two parts of the other slab are together 92 centimetres high and 38 centimetres wide and 15 centimetres thick. There is evidently a portion missing between the two. Two broad lateral bands passing round bosses, haze a central scroll at the top, whilst in the lower part are the body and legs of a man, with the swastika below. This has been taken as representing the crucifixion of Jesus. In all there are nine slabs in the vestry.


The standing cross

The standing cross is pre Norman and is made of red sandstone. It is 1.37 metres high, 37 centimetres wide at the top and 46 centimetres wide at the bottom with a thickness of 20 centimetres. The wheelhead has been broken off, but its lower part is still visible. The west face has a kind of knot work covering the whole surface. Two other surfaces have similar carvings, however at the foot of one of these sides is a bound animal, with its head turned over its back. This may signify that man's enemies cannot arm them in the presence of the cross. The remaining face is carved with broad rings and crossing bands. Originally the standing cross stood in the churchyard in its own socket, which is 76 centimetres by 66 centimetres. To strengthen it Calverley poured lead into the joint. It was later moved into the vestry where it sits beside the Font.


Grave slabs

In the east wall of the churchyard is a slab 1.45 metres long and 38 centimetres broad at one end and 30 centimetres at the other. It contains an
incised Incision may refer to: * Cutting, the separation of an object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force * A type of open wound caused by a clean, sharp-edged object such as a knife, razor, or glass splinter ...
floriated cross A cross fleury (or flory) is a cross adorned at the ends with flowers in heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, to ...
head, with a trefoil cut on each side of the stem just below the crosshead. On the right side is a book of the
gospels Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
15 centimetres long. The cross stands on
Calvary Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
steps. On the same wall is a second slab 34 centimetres long 20 centimetres wide at the top and 13 centimetres at the bottom. The cross is also on Calvary steps and the slab has chamfered edges.


Hogbacks

A Hogback is a recumbent coped shrine tombstone, shaped to represent the house of the dead, with a roof carved to look like tiles, and walls carved to represent ideas symbolic with death and resurrection. When the builders dismantled the old Norman church they found a Hogback in the building material. It is 1.17 metres long and 69 centimetres high. At the top is a highly decorated ridge, 7.6 centimetres thick, with two zigzag flat bands worked upon it. It stands 7.6 centimetres above the roof below. It has a curved surface, and is ornamented on one side with recessed work like two moulded tiles and on the other with one row. These are adorned with a simple
Triquetra The triquetra ( ; from the Latin adjective ''triquetrus'' "three-cornered") is a triangular figure composed of three interlaced arcs, or (equivalently) three overlapping '' vesicae piscis'' lens shapes. It is used as an ornamental design in ar ...
, the sign of the Trinity on each tile. Along the eaves is a broad band worked with a kind of key pattern. The upright sides of the house are covered with interlacing flat bands on one side, and the walls are strengthened with
pilasters In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wall ...
highly ornamented. A broad one in the middle and a narrower one at each end (one end having been broken away). The other side is much damaged, but shows evidence of knot work of double strands. The Hogback is now in the vestry, close to the Font.


External features

The church and the extensive churchyard are enclosed by a boundary wall. On the south side are the main oak gates, which in 1933, were carved by Mr Joseph Berwick and his daughter Alice (later Cane). These are now
Grade 2 listed 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 ...
under the
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the laws on granting of planning permission for building works, notably including those of the listed building system in En ...
as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. On the north side, beyond the wall of the old vicarage garden stands the ancient Dovecote, again Grade 2 listed. The Dovecote is arguably the oldest building in the neighbourhood. On the east side of the church is the mock
Gosforth Cross The Gosforth Cross is a large stone monument in St Mary's churchyard at Gosforth in the English county of Cumbria, dating to the first half of the 10th century AD. Formerly part of the kingdom of Northumbria, the area was settled by Scandinavia ...
, carved under the instruction of the Rev. William Slater Calverley. Towards the northern end of the boundary is St. Kentigern's Well which is still supplied with a head of water. Granted that St. Kentigern and other
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
preached here, it is probable that this was the place where his
converts Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others. Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliatin ...
were baptised. It is said that there is a well at each of the churches dedicated to St. Kentigern.Bailey page 16 The earliest vicarage, a low whitewashed building, with small windows and flagged floor was built in 1714. It was however, totally inadequate as a home for the vicar and as a consequence several lived elsewhere. It was demolished in 1868 and replaced with the present building. In the 1990s the church built a new vicarage in the garden, with an entrance off King Street. The old vicarage is now a home for two families.


List of vicars

Vicars of St Kentigern's Church, Aspatria (As recorded on a tablet in the nave of the church) * 1174 Benedict * 1200 Adam * 1292 Bartholomew de Kertling * 1309 Alan de Horncastle * 1318 Richard de Melburn * 1333 Nicholas de Stoveton * 1333 Robert Bully * 1357 Adam Deincourt * 1357 Roger de Ledes * 1358 Adan de Alneburgh * 1380 William de Arthuret * 1385 Robert de Pontefract * 1385 Adam de Fonward * 1397 John Mayson * 1405 Thomas de Brampton * 1424 William Sandes * 1462 John Yodal * 1474 William More * 1489 Thomas Yong * 1490 John de Ireby * 1565 Edward Mitchell * 1565 Anthony Thwaites * 1578 Lancelot Dawson * 1610 William Orbell * 1617 Mathew Braddel * 1639 Thomas Warwick * 1661 Francis Palmer * 1686 Richard Holme * 1695 George Fleming * 1703 Robert Hume * 1706 David Bell * 1729 John Brisco * 1771 William Gilpin * 1793 William Fernyhough * 1815 John C. Gilbanks * 1837 Edward Thompson *1838 Edward Salkeld *1872 L. T. Shipman *1879 T. W. Powell *1885
W. S. Calverley W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP '' B ...
*1898 F. L. H. Millard *1905 Thomas Hackworth *1921 J. L. Crawley *1928 A. H. Hodgson *1939 Henry Whitley *1954 Vernon D, Clark *1963 John Needham *1972 G G Douglas * Brian Rowe * Clive Shaw * Tim Herbert


See also

*
Grade II* listed buildings in Cumbria The county of Cumbria is divided into six districts. The districts of Cumbria are Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, District of South Lakeland, Borough of Copeland, Borough of Allerdale, District of Eden, City of Carlisle. As there are 460 G ...
* Listed buildings in Aspatria


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * *


External links


Grade II listed buildings in Aspatria
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aspatria, St Kentigern's Church Church of England church buildings in Cumbria Grade II* listed churches in Cumbria English churches with Norman architecture English Gothic architecture in Cumbria Churches completed in 1848 Holy wells in England Diocese of Carlisle Aspatria