St Andrew's Church, Dent
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's Church, Dent, is located in the village of Dent, Cumbria
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Ewecross, the archdeaconry of Craven and the diocese of Bradford
. Its benefice has been united with that of St John the Evangelist, Cowgill
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
was carried out in 1889–90 by the Lancaster
architects Paley, Austin and Paley.
stone. The nave
has a stone slate roof, and the roofs of the aisle
s are in copper. Its architectural style is mainly Perpendicular. The plan consists of a nave and chancel
in one range with a clerestory
, north and south aisles running the whole length of the church, a south porch, and a west tower. The tower has a square-headed south doorway, a small west window, a clock face on the south side, and two-light louvred
bell openings. At the top of the tower is an embattled
parapet
. To the west of the north aisle is a lean-to structure containing a round-headed west doorway. The south porch is gable
d with a round-headed doorway, leading to a pointed-arched doorway into the church. Along the sides of the clerestory on each side are four two-light windows in the nave, and two three-light windows in the chancel. The south aisle has a two-light window adjacent to the porch, and four three-light windows to the east of it. Under the fourth window is a round-headed priest's door. On the north side of the church is a blocked round-headed doorway towards the west, then windows similar to those of the south aisle. The east window has five lights, and is flanked by two three-light windows. Norman
features have been retained in the blocked north doorway, and in parts of the nave and tower.
arcades
are carried on cylindrical and octagonal piers
. The chancel is paved with polished Dent marble
in a black-and-white chequer pattern. The octagonal oak pulpit
is dated 1614, and has a sounding board
. There are 17th-century box pew
s and 18th-century benches in the aisles. The octagonal font
is made from Barrow
limestone
. The stained glass in the east window depicts the Te Deum
. The memorials include a marble wall tablet to the geologist Adam Sedgwick
who died in 1873. Above the entrance are the Royal arms
of George III
dated 1792. The two-manual
organ was built in about 1892 by H. S. Vincent and Company. It was restored in 2009 by Harrison and Harrison
. The ring
consists of six bells, all cast in 1787 by William Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
.
piers and a wrought iron
gate, and dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. Also listed at Grade II is the former grammar school
standing in the churchyard, now converted into flats. It is a sandstone building with stone slate roofs, and dates probably from the early 18th century.
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England. It is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the deanery of Ewecross, the archdeaconry of Craven and the diocese of Bradford
Diocese of Bradford
The Diocese of Bradford is a Church of England diocese within the Province of York. The Diocese covers the area of the City of Bradford, Craven district and the former Sedbergh Rural District now in Cumbria....
. Its benefice has been united with that of St John the Evangelist, Cowgill
St John the Evangelist's Church, Cowgill
St John the Evangelist's Church, Cowgill, is in the village of Cowgill, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Ewecross, the archdeaconry of Craven, and the diocese of Bradford. Its benefice has been united with that of St Andrew, Dent...
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building.
History
St Andrew's originated in the 12th century, was rebuilt in 1417, restored in 1590, and again in 1787. A further restorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
was carried out in 1889–90 by the Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
architects Paley, Austin and Paley.
Exterior
The church is constructed in rubbleRubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
stone. The nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
has a stone slate roof, and the roofs of the aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s are in copper. Its architectural style is mainly Perpendicular. The plan consists of a nave and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
in one range with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, north and south aisles running the whole length of the church, a south porch, and a west tower. The tower has a square-headed south doorway, a small west window, a clock face on the south side, and two-light louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
bell openings. At the top of the tower is an embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
. To the west of the north aisle is a lean-to structure containing a round-headed west doorway. The south porch is gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d with a round-headed doorway, leading to a pointed-arched doorway into the church. Along the sides of the clerestory on each side are four two-light windows in the nave, and two three-light windows in the chancel. The south aisle has a two-light window adjacent to the porch, and four three-light windows to the east of it. Under the fourth window is a round-headed priest's door. On the north side of the church is a blocked round-headed doorway towards the west, then windows similar to those of the south aisle. The east window has five lights, and is flanked by two three-light windows. Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
features have been retained in the blocked north doorway, and in parts of the nave and tower.
Interior
The six-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
arcades
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
are carried on cylindrical and octagonal piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
. The chancel is paved with polished Dent marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
in a black-and-white chequer pattern. The octagonal oak pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is dated 1614, and has a sounding board
Sounding board
A sound board, or soundboard, is the surface of a string instrument that the strings vibrate against, usually via some sort of bridge. The resonant properties of the sound board and the interior of the instrument greatly increase loudness over the string alone.The sound board operates by the...
. There are 17th-century box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s and 18th-century benches in the aisles. The octagonal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is made from Barrow
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The stained glass in the east window depicts the Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
. The memorials include a marble wall tablet to the geologist Adam Sedgwick
Adam Sedgwick
Adam Sedgwick was one of the founders of modern geology. He proposed the Devonian period of the geological timescale...
who died in 1873. Above the entrance are the Royal arms
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
dated 1792. The two-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ was built in about 1892 by H. S. Vincent and Company. It was restored in 2009 by Harrison and Harrison
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd are a British company that make and restore pipe organs, based in Durham and established in 1861. They are well known for their work on instruments such as King's College Cambridge, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Festival Hall....
. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of six bells, all cast in 1787 by William Mears at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
.
External features
The gateway on the south side of the churchyard is listed at Grade II. It consists of a pair of sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
piers and a wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
gate, and dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. Also listed at Grade II is the former grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
standing in the churchyard, now converted into flats. It is a sandstone building with stone slate roofs, and dates probably from the early 18th century.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria
- List of works by Paley, Austin and Paley