St Cuthbert's Church, Elsdon
Encyclopedia
St Cuthbert's Church is located in Elsdon
, Alnwick
, northeast England. The church was one of the resting places of St. Cuthbert
's body in the wanderings of the monks. It is one of the many dedicated to his memory. St Cuthbert's Church is a Grade I listed building in Northumberland.
. The village and church are located along St. Cuthbert's Way
.
. The ceiling over the nave and the transept aisles forms quadrant
s, and slabs exist across the structure. Of the present church, there are two transepts, one called Anderson's porch, and the other Hedley's porch. The building had a leper window. There are several deep cuts on one of the pillars of the arcade of the south aisle, which are of a different character from masons' marks, and considered likely to have been made by the sharpening of weapons upon them.
In some country parishes in large sparsely-inhabited districts, it was expedient to build hearse-houses against the churches for the convenience of keeping a hearse for the use of the parishioners; one was built against the shady north side of the chancel of Elsdon's church. The rectory house is an old tower with a circular staircase at one corner. Its lowest story is spanned with one large arch. On its front arch are the arms of the Hunfranvilles, with an inscription beneath.
. A subsequent church has few remains still in existence: Norman
pilaster
s, and two small Norman windows in the west gable, circa 1100 or earlier. Most of the current construction is 14th century. St John the Evangelist's Church
in Otterburn
is a chapel-of-ease to St. Cuthbert's.
The monks of Lindisfarne
during their flight from the Danes
, halted for a while with the relics of St. Cuthbert on what is now the site of Elsdon Church.
1877
During of the 1877 church restoration, it was necessary to change the levels of the church flooring. The flooring was damp; the bases of the pillars were nearly covered and out of sight because of soil accumulation. The reduction of soil levels in the nave
, transept
s and chancel
lead to the discovery of an immense collection of skeletons. The labourers reported that 996 whole skulls were re-interred, as well as a large number that were mutilated in the course of their removal. The remains of nearly 1200 of the former chief inhabitants of the district were disturbed and removed from their resting place, while approximately 300 or 400 were left where found. The skeletons appeared to have been disturbed by the interment of those more recently buried. No doubt the intra-mural interments had taken place during hundreds of years, the last having occurred in the late 18th century. The bones of the earlier deceased had frequently been moved to make room for their successors. Skulls were frequently found lying together in groups of three or four in one spot. No remains other than bones were found, with the exception of a very few coffin handles, with a little decayed wood, and in one instance a small quantity of hair. It is possible that some bodies had been buried here after the Battle of Otterburn
.
Also in 1877, it was necessary to pull down the small spire
, which terminated at the bell turret
surmounting the church's western gable
. In the spire, immediately over the bell, a small chamber was discovered, without any opening, and in it, nearly filling the cavity, were three horse skulls. When found, the three skulls were standing on their bases in a triangular form, mouths upwards, and leaning against each other at the top; the cavity seemed to have been purposely prepared for them. There were two large skulls and one smaller; two were well preserved, while one was decayed. The heads appeared to be two of draught horse
s, and one of a cob
. The reason for placing skulls in the bell turret may have been to increase the resonance.
Elsdon, Northumberland
Elsdon is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northumberland about to the southwest of Rothbury. The name is derived from the Old English meaning Elli's valley....
, Alnwick
Alnwick (district)
Alnwick was a local government district of Northumberland, England. Its council was based in Alnwick town and the district had a population of 31,029 according to the 2001 census....
, northeast England. The church was one of the resting places of St. Cuthbert
Cuthbert
- People :*Cuthbert , Anglo-Saxon saint, bishop, monk and hermit*Cuthbert of Canterbury , Archbishop of Canterbury*Cuthbert Bardsley , Anglican Bishop of Coventry*Cuthbert Brodrick , British architect...
's body in the wanderings of the monks. It is one of the many dedicated to his memory. St Cuthbert's Church is a Grade I listed building in Northumberland.
Geography
St. Cuthbert's is situated within Elsdon's 7.5 acres (3 ha) village green. Larger in size than many Northumbrian churches, it is situated close to the fortified vicarage. It is 21 miles (33.8 km) west-northwest from MorpethMorpeth, Northumberland
Morpeth is the county town of Northumberland, England. It is situated on the River Wansbeck which flows east through the town. The town is from the A1, which bypasses it. Since 1981, it has been the administrative centre of the County of Northumberland. In the 2001 census the town had a population...
. The village and church are located along St. Cuthbert's Way
St. Cuthbert's Way
St Cuthbert's Way is a long-distance trail between the Scottish Borders town of Melrose and Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland, England.It is part of the European walking route E2....
.
Architecture and fittings
The church shows evidence of extensive later medieval rebuilding. The cause may have been damage at the time of the 1388 Battle of OtterburnBattle of Otterburn
The Battle of Otterburn took place on the 5 August 1388, as part of the continuing border skirmishes between the Scottish and English.The best remaining record of the battle is from Jean Froissart's Chronicles in which he claims to have interviewed veterans from both sides of the battle...
. The ceiling over the nave and the transept aisles forms quadrant
Quadrant (architecture)
Quadrant in architecture refers to a curve in a wall or a vaulted ceiling. Generally considered to be an arc of 90 degrees - one quarter of a circle, or a half of the more commonly seen architectural feature - a crescent....
s, and slabs exist across the structure. Of the present church, there are two transepts, one called Anderson's porch, and the other Hedley's porch. The building had a leper window. There are several deep cuts on one of the pillars of the arcade of the south aisle, which are of a different character from masons' marks, and considered likely to have been made by the sharpening of weapons upon them.
In some country parishes in large sparsely-inhabited districts, it was expedient to build hearse-houses against the churches for the convenience of keeping a hearse for the use of the parishioners; one was built against the shady north side of the chancel of Elsdon's church. The rectory house is an old tower with a circular staircase at one corner. Its lowest story is spanned with one large arch. On its front arch are the arms of the Hunfranvilles, with an inscription beneath.
History
The first church at Elsdon was probably constructed of oak, with a roof made of rushesJuncaceae
Juncaceae, the rush family, are a monocotyledonous family of flowering plants. There are eight genera and about 400 species. Members of the Juncaceae are slow-growing, rhizomatous, herbaceous plants, and they may superficially resemble grasses. They often grow on infertile soils in a wide range...
. A subsequent church has few remains still in existence: 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...
pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s, and two small Norman windows in the west gable, circa 1100 or earlier. Most of the current construction is 14th century. St John the Evangelist's Church
St John the Evangelist's Church, Otterburn
St John the Evangelist's Church is a church in Otterburn, Northumberland, northeast England, located off the A696 road. It was built in 1857.Three sisters, the Misses Davidson, of Lemmington Hall, and Mrs. Askew, of Pallinsburn, built Otterburn Church, in the year 1857, for the use of their...
in Otterburn
Otterburn, Northumberland
Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle Upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about from the Scottish border...
is a chapel-of-ease to St. Cuthbert's.
The monks of Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
during their flight from the Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
, halted for a while with the relics of St. Cuthbert on what is now the site of Elsdon Church.
1877
During of the 1877 church restoration, it was necessary to change the levels of the church flooring. The flooring was damp; the bases of the pillars were nearly covered and out of sight because of soil accumulation. The reduction of soil levels in 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...
, transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s 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...
lead to the discovery of an immense collection of skeletons. The labourers reported that 996 whole skulls were re-interred, as well as a large number that were mutilated in the course of their removal. The remains of nearly 1200 of the former chief inhabitants of the district were disturbed and removed from their resting place, while approximately 300 or 400 were left where found. The skeletons appeared to have been disturbed by the interment of those more recently buried. No doubt the intra-mural interments had taken place during hundreds of years, the last having occurred in the late 18th century. The bones of the earlier deceased had frequently been moved to make room for their successors. Skulls were frequently found lying together in groups of three or four in one spot. No remains other than bones were found, with the exception of a very few coffin handles, with a little decayed wood, and in one instance a small quantity of hair. It is possible that some bodies had been buried here after the Battle of Otterburn
Battle of Otterburn
The Battle of Otterburn took place on the 5 August 1388, as part of the continuing border skirmishes between the Scottish and English.The best remaining record of the battle is from Jean Froissart's Chronicles in which he claims to have interviewed veterans from both sides of the battle...
.
Also in 1877, it was necessary to pull down the small spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
, which terminated at the bell turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
surmounting the church's western 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...
. In the spire, immediately over the bell, a small chamber was discovered, without any opening, and in it, nearly filling the cavity, were three horse skulls. When found, the three skulls were standing on their bases in a triangular form, mouths upwards, and leaning against each other at the top; the cavity seemed to have been purposely prepared for them. There were two large skulls and one smaller; two were well preserved, while one was decayed. The heads appeared to be two of draught horse
Draft horse
A draft horse , draught horse or dray horse , less often called a work horse or heavy horse, is a large horse bred for hard, heavy tasks such as ploughing and farm labour...
s, and one of a cob
Cob (horse)
A cob is a small horse, usually of a stout build, with strong bones, large joints, and steady disposition; it is a body type of horse rather than a specific breed...
. The reason for placing skulls in the bell turret may have been to increase the resonance.
Further reading
- Robertson, Edward C. (1882), On a discovery of horse-heads in the belfry of Elsdon church. On the skeletons exhumed at Elsdon, and their probable connection with the Battle of Otterburn : papers read at the meeting of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club at Otterburn, July 27th, 1881