July 21, 2015

Hunstanworth, Durham – St James

On Thursday 9 July we went for a drive down to Hunstanworth, leaving the County as we did so. St James Hunstanworth – NY 949490 – is in County Durham, but in the Diocese of Newcastle. The church, vicarage, school and cottages were rebuilt at one go in 1862-3 for the Reverend Daniel Capper. He was born on 28 October 1804 at St Pancras, moved to Cheltenham at the age of 12, and entered Queens College, Cambridge, in 1823. He graduated in 1828 and the following year married Anne Saunders. Her father was rector of St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe in London. The...
Categories Durham/Outside Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 0
July 8, 2015

Staindrop, Durham – St Mary the Virgin

I wanted to visit Staindrop church to catch up with Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland – see my blog on Great Salkeld. We were driving south down the A68 to go and see friends living in Yorkshire, so turned off and came down into Staindrop – St Mary’s church is on the right, just beside Raby Castle. That looks well worth a visit – website. The church has its own website – and its grid reference is NZ132206. At this point I pause to wonder how many northernvicar readers use the grid references – but as a Cambridge Geographer (OK, Part I...
Categories Durham/Outside Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 3
June 26, 2015

Carlisle Cathedral (again)

Let’s have a 1925 railway poster to celebrate this return to Carlisle. I last blogged about Carlisle Cathedral in January – it wasn’t much warmer in June! They are now working on the stone work by the south door, but signage makes it very clear that the Cathedral is open and welcoming. I also liked the “Keep calm and come to Evensong” poster. Last time it was too dark for good photos, this time my battery expired. This time I purchased a guidebook, now all I need to do is read it. Enjoy a few more photos. This is the...
Categories Cathedrals/Cumbria/Railway History/World War 1 Comment: 1
June 15, 2015

York, Goodramgate – Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity is a church in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust – there is a lot about the church at their website. The first existing record of the church is a charter of 1082, though it is thought this charter is a forgery! There is some Norman work and C12 tracery still in existence. The east end was rebuilt between 1470 and 80, and the rebuilding probably included the whole chancel of north aisle. The tower was added in 1495-6, and not a lot happened since. It was a busy churchyard, full of people eating their lunches in...
Categories Churches Conservation Trust/Outside Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 0
June 15, 2015

Lanercost Priory, Cumbria – St Mary Magdalene

St Mary Magdalene, Lanercost Priory, Cumbria, was a place I first visited while walking Hadrian’s Wall in 1982. We have called in occasionally since then, but Friday 22 May 2015 was the first time we stopped at the Lanercost Tea Room – website. Very nice indeed, and I like that their website says they are blessed by having a Priory next door. Then there is the English Heritage Priory – http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lanercost-priory/ – all the ruins. The third part of the Trinity is the parish church itself – http://www.lanercostpriory.org.uk/index.html. It looks as if the three work together well, to everyone’s advantage....
Categories Cumbria/Outside Northumberland Comments: 7
June 14, 2015

Corbridge – St Andrew

St Andrew’s church at Corbridge is in the middle of the village – NY987644. I like the church, have worshipped there, regularly lunch with David the Vicar, and they have an excellent website http:// www.corbridgechurch.org.uk/. You may enjoy their Chamber Music Festival in August – website – though I wish they would have an evening Choral service that I could get to. Julie and I like to stop in the village, but there is not a lot of disabled parking. We found a space on Wednesday 20 May – then I went round the church, and Julie went to Forum Books....
Categories Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 0
May 27, 2015

Kirkharle – St Wilfrid

St Wilfrid’s church at Kirkharle is just off the main A696 – NZ012826. The courtyard has a variety of shops and a café. They have a website, but why, on the weekend of the second May bank holiday, is it still wishing us “a very Happy Easter break”? We avoided the shops and drove up the lane to the church. The present church was consecrated in the 14th century. It was one of three in the north east to have been run by the Premonstratensian monks of Blanchland Abbey (the others were at Heddon and Bywell). They probably continued...
Categories Northumberland Comments: 0
May 21, 2015

Great Salkeld, Cumbria – St Cuthbert

We’re over the border in Cumbria, and stopped at Great Salkeld to have a look at St Cuthbert’s church – NY552368. The guide leaflet has a quotation from Ernest Barker, LLD, King’s College, London: “The village church has been the very core and symbol of the deepest life of the English nation – continuous still – dead knit to living, man knit to God”. I don’t know who the honourable gentleman is, but what a smashing quote. It seems appropriate if the first photo is of the war memorial. (This Sunday in Ponteland we are commemorating three men who...
Categories Cumbria/Outside Northumberland/World War 1 Comments: 2
May 20, 2015

Cambo – Holy Trinity (again)

I visited this church in 2012 – it seems to be open during the day. We are having a week’s holiday in sunny Hexham, and on Monday 18 May we rose late and headed north. We stopped at Cambo church as one of my blog readers had asked “Is there a stained glass window in the Church dedicated to Charles Trevelyan who was the Permanent Secretary of the Treasury during the mid 1800’s?” Yes, there is, the west window under the tower.               According to the Wallington National Trust guidebook. Sir Charles Edward...
Categories National Trust/Northumberland Comments: 5
April 25, 2015

Bottesford, Leicestershire – St Mary the Virgin

I was heading south to London by rail, and had time for a diversion (off the East Coast Main Line at Grantham). If I had visited by car, Bottesford is not far off the A1. The church is a lovely walk from the station. I knew it was a Grade 1 listed building, but I had not realised how stunning the church would be – this is going to be a long, long blog. I found a very busy church. They have had major renovation work, a new pavement floor, new kitchen and a moved font. It will be...
Categories Leicestershire/Outside Northumberland Comments: 0