St John the Evangelist's Church, Cowgill
Encyclopedia
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
as a Grade II listed building.
architect Edmund Sharpe
. Its design is similar to that of Holy Trinity Church, Howgill
, which dates from the same period. The foundation stone was laid on 30 June 1837 by Adam Sedgwick
, Professor of Geology
at Cambridge University
. The church was consecrated
on 31 October 1838 by the Bishop of Ripon.
sandstone
rubble
with slate
roofs. Its architectural style is Early English. The plan consists of a six-bay
nave
, a single-bay chancel
with a vestry
to the north, a south porch, and a bellcote at the west end. Each bay contains a lancet window
, and the bays are separated by buttress
es. On the south side of the church is a wooden gable
d porch. The bellcote has wooden louvres
, and a steep pyramidal roof surmounted by a weathervane. At the gabled west end of the church is a central buttress flanked by lancets, above which is an oculus
. The east window is a stepped triple-lancet. Inside the church are wall memorials to members of the Elam family and others. The single-manual
organ was built by T. Hopkins and Son.
gates and the sandstone gate piers
to the churchyard, dating probably from 1838, are also listed at Grade II.
Cowgill, Cumbria
Cowgill is a village in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and is located south east of Sedbergh....
, Cumbria
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 Andrew, Dent
St Andrew's Church, Dent
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
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 II listed building.
History
The church was built in 1837–38, and has previously been known as Kirkthwaite Chapel, and Cowgill Chapel. It was designed by the LancasterLancaster, 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...
architect Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe was an English architect and engineer. He started his career as an architect, initially on his own, then in partnership with Edward Paley, designing mainly churches but also some secular buildings...
. Its design is similar to that of Holy Trinity Church, Howgill
Holy Trinity Church, Howgill
Holy Trinity Church, Howgill, stands in a country lane near the hamlet of Howgill, between Sedbergh and Tebay, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of Ewecross, the archdeaconry of Craven and the diocese of Bradford...
, which dates from the same period. The foundation stone was laid on 30 June 1837 by Adam Sedgwick
Adam Sedgwick
Adam Sedgwick was one of the founders of modern geology. He proposed the Devonian period of the geological timescale...
, Professor of Geology
Woodwardian Professor of Geology
The Woodwardian Professor of Geology is a professorship held in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge. It was founded by John Woodward in 1728...
at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. The church was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 31 October 1838 by the Bishop of Ripon.
Architecture
St John's is constructed in coursedCourse (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
sandstone
Sandstone
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,...
rubble
Rubble
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...
with slate
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. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its architectural style is Early English. The plan consists of a six-bay
Bay (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:...
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...
, a single-bay 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...
with a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
to the north, a south porch, and a bellcote at the west end. Each bay contains a lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
, and the bays are separated by buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. On the south side of the church is a wooden 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 porch. The bellcote has wooden louvres
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...
, and a steep pyramidal roof surmounted by a weathervane. At the gabled west end of the church is a central buttress flanked by lancets, above which is an oculus
Oculus
An Oculus, circular window, or rain-hole is a feature of Classical architecture since the 16th century. They are often denoted by their French name, oeil de boeuf, or "bull's-eye". Such circular or oval windows express the presence of a mezzanine on a building's façade without competing for...
. The east window is a stepped triple-lancet. Inside the church are wall memorials to members of the Elam family and others. The single-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 by T. Hopkins and Son.
External features
The wrought ironWrought 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...
gates and the sandstone gate 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...
to the churchyard, dating probably from 1838, are also listed at Grade II.