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Author: Rev. Peter Barham

Priest who spots things; mainly churches and trains.
December 11, 2013

Barton, Cumbria – St Michael

The Cumbrian Tourist Board will hate me, but I don’t really do the Lakes. Every time we head that way it rains. Today (30 September 2013) we’d spent the morning in Carlisle, visited Wreay about lunchtime, had a leisurely tea beside the railway, and found very narrow roads to explore. We came down by Ullswater, then followed the B5320 to the south of Penrith. Entering the hamlet of Barton – I grew up in Barton, Cambridgeshire – we followed the sign to the church … and what a church! Part of a benefice with Pooley Bridge et al. NY488263, Grade 1...
Categories Cumbria/World War 1 Comment: 1
December 11, 2013

Wreay, Cumbria – St Mary

A trip outside the Diocese of Newcastle for the next couple of churches. St Mary’s Wreay is just south of Carlisle – NY435489 – and has an excellent church website. I have now learned to embed – be impressed! I read Jenny Uglow’s book “The Pinecone; the story of Sarah Losh, forgotten Romantic heroine – antiquarian, architect and visionary”. Julie, who reads lots of book blogs, came and explored with me. The first church in the village is recorded in 1319 and in post-Reformation times there was a building which served both as a chapel and a schoolhouse. It was consecrated...
Categories Cumbria Comment: 1
December 11, 2013

A personal pause

It amazes me when I look at the statistics to see how widely this blog is read. I even had a visitor from Syria in the last few months – which bought the current Civil War there a little closer to home. If, my Syrian visitor, you read this post – be assured of my prayers (and it made a good theme for a school assembly on “It’s a small world”). Two pieces of news. My dad, Dr Jeffrey Barham, died on 3 December 2013. This photo was taken in a tea shop in Corbridge in June 2011 –...
Categories Personal/Railway History Comments: 6
November 20, 2013

Jesmond – St George

So, what did I do two months ago? Why is anyone reading such an out-of-date blog? Must do better! It was Heritage Open Day. I had had a meeting at one Jesmond church, and drove north up Osborne Road. I have drive up Osborne Road many times, but had never stopped and been into the church. Then a month later I went in again – we had a DAC meeting there. They have recently given the place a good clean – and done an amazing job. The church is at NZ256668. Their website is www.stgeorgesjesmond.org.uk The church was built...
Categories Newcastle upon Tyne Comment: 1
September 23, 2013

Jesmond – Holy Trinity

A DAC meeting, preceded by an excellent lunch, in this church on Churchill Gardens on 12 September 2013. Their grid reference is NZ261660 and website http://www.htjesmond.org.uk. Obviously a welcoming and busy church, but interesting that the website says nothing at all about the building. The chancel by Hicks & Charlewood 1905, then nave, aisles, tower and spire built as a war memorial by Hoare and Wheeler in 1922. It was the gift of the Dalgleish and Hoare family. Mark the Vicar commented that they were “ship builders or arms dealers, depending on your point of view”. HMS Valentine came to...
Categories Newcastle upon Tyne/World War 1 Comments: 0
September 22, 2013

Wall – St George

I love google. I typed “Wall St George” in and got “St George cross England flag with flag pole and wall bracket” from Amazon, and “Video wall, St George’s University of London”. Wall was part of the parish of St John Lee until 1879 when it was decided to make Heavenfield (St Oswald in Lee) the parish church for Wall). Wall is on the A6079, but the church and the village centre is just to the east of the main road – it’s at NY918691. It is an uphill walk to Heavenfield. On our DAC trip we had gone...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 0
September 21, 2013

St John Lee – St John of Beverley

The DAC tour bus powered down the A69, then turned up a very minor road. St John’ church is in the middle of nowhere – NY933656 – though the noise from the A69 disturbs the spot. There is a huge graveyard on the north side of the road, and the church sits surrounded by another graveyard with lots of mature trees. There is a lot of work to do, and some wonderful stones.                                                 There has...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 3
September 20, 2013

Newcastle – St Matthew

St Matthew, known as ‘The Big Lamp’, is huge. I have driven down the West Road on so many occasions, and never been in. I have seen the church from many different places in Newcastle – it’s the tower just to the right of the spire in this view over Stephenson’s High Level Bridge – but I’ve never been in. It’s one of our Deanery churches, but I’ve never been in. The church’s website is http://www.stmatthewsnewcastle.org. It is at the very Catholic end of the Church of England; they and I will not agree on many things (ordination of women just...
Categories Newcastle upon Tyne Comments: 0
September 15, 2013

Wallsend – St Luke

I caught the metro to Wallsend – where the station notices are in Latin as well as English. St Luke’s is on Station Road, visible from the platform – NZ300663. I was there for a DAC meeting on 25 July. If you type it into google, you find a St Luke’s Wallsend in New South Wales – perhaps southernvicar could blog it! Our St Luke’s was built by Oliver & Leeson 1885-7, western vestries ten years later, tower, chancel and Lady Chapel by Oliver, Leeson & Wood 1906. There’s a modern hall, well an old hall with modern work –...
Categories Newcastle upon Tyne/Railway History/World War 1 Comments: 2
September 15, 2013

Lindisfarne – again

We have spent a lot of time this summer celebrating the Lindisfarne Gospels. They’ve been back in Durham this summer, so we had a trip there. We had a Summer Festival in Ponteland with flowers and art on the Lindisfarne theme, and I had a history display in our garden. There are photos on the church website – http://www.pontelandstmary.co.uk/news-and-festival/festival-2013.html. This wonderful artwork was made by the youngsters of Richard Coates Middle School, designed by Stuart Clogg. It hung in the marquee for the Festival. I went to the island of Lindisfarne a couple of times in July. There was a...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 0