St John the Evangelist's Church, Newton Arlosh
Encyclopedia
St John the Evangelist's Church, Newton Arlosh, is in the village of Newton Arlosh
, Cumbria
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Carlisle, the archdeaconry of Carlisle, and the diocese of Carlisle
. Originally a fortified church
, it was extended in the 19th century. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
. It was granted a licence to crenellate
on 11 April 1304. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, the church remained in ruins until it was restored and extended
by Sarah Losh in 1844. The extension involved the building of a chancel
at right angles to the north of the nave
. In 1894 the church was further restored and refurnished.
blocks mixed with cobbles
and the extension is in red sandstone; all the roofs are covered in sandstone slates, other than the lead on the roof of the tower. Its plan consists of a square fortified west tower with very thick walls, and a two-bay
fortified nave. Extending to the north is a two-bay chancel with an apsidal
vestry
on its east wall. There is no external entrance to the tower; it is entered from the interior of the church at the level of the first floor. Its ground level is barrel vault
ed. Inside the tower a stone spiral staircase leads to a chamber on the upper floor containing a fireplace. All the windows in the tower are arrow-slits, some of them original and some from the Victorian restoration
. The upper part of the tower has been restored; it has a battlemented parapet
and, on the south side a projecting turret
on corbel
s. In the south wall of the nave is a narrow doorway and more arrow-slit windows. The chancel has a round-arched doorway and lancet window
s; in the vestry are round-headed windows. Standing on the ridge of the nave roof towards its east end is a carved eagle by Sarah Losh.
with a base of bog
oak, and another base in the form of a palm tree that was intended to form part of the pulpit
. The oldest item of furniture is the font
, brought from Holm Cultram Abbey. It dates from the 13th century and consists of an octagonal bowl with crocket
ed gables on a fragmentary stem.
Newton Arlosh
Newton Arlosh is a village in the Allerdale District, in the English county of Cumbria.-Landmarks:St. John the Evangelist's Church is one of the most complete fortified churches in the area. In ruins from the Dissolution until the 19th century, it was repaired and extended in 1844...
, 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 Carlisle, the archdeaconry of Carlisle, and the diocese of Carlisle
Diocese of Carlisle
The Diocese of Carlisle was created in 1133 by Henry I out of part of the Diocese of Durham, although many people of Celtic descent in the area looked to Glasgow for spiritual leadership. The first bishop was Æthelwold, formerly the king's confessor and now prior of the Augustinian priory at...
. Originally a fortified church
Fortified church
Churches have often shown potential to be used for defensive purposes.Europe has a substantial legacy of fortified churches which were used for defensive purposes in time of war...
, it was extended in the 19th century. It 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 John's was built in 1303 by the monks of Holm Cultram AbbeyHolmcultram Abbey
Holmcultram Abbey was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1150 in what is now the village of Abbeytown in Cumbria in England but at the time of foundation was in territory in the possession of David I of Scotland, who together with his son, Henry, founded it in 1150...
. It was granted a licence to crenellate
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...
on 11 April 1304. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, the church remained in ruins until it was restored and extended
Victorian 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...
by Sarah Losh in 1844. The extension involved the building of a 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...
at right angles to the north of 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...
. In 1894 the church was further restored and refurnished.
Exterior
The original church was built in large red 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,...
blocks mixed with cobbles
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
and the extension is in red sandstone; all the roofs are covered in sandstone slates, other than the lead on the roof of the tower. Its plan consists of a square fortified west tower with very thick walls, and a two-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:...
fortified nave. Extending to the north is a two-bay chancel with an apsidal
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
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....
on its east wall. There is no external entrance to the tower; it is entered from the interior of the church at the level of the first floor. Its ground level is barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ed. Inside the tower a stone spiral staircase leads to a chamber on the upper floor containing a fireplace. All the windows in the tower are arrow-slits, some of them original and some from the Victorian restoration
Victorian 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...
. The upper part of the tower has been restored; it has a battlemented 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...
and, on the south side a projecting 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...
on corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s. In the south wall of the nave is a narrow doorway and more arrow-slit windows. The chancel has a round-arched doorway and 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...
s; in the vestry are round-headed windows. Standing on the ridge of the nave roof towards its east end is a carved eagle by Sarah Losh.
Interior
There is further work by Sarah Losh inside the church. On the east wall of the nave, flanking the position of the original altar are corbels in the shape of rams' heads. Also by her is the lecternLectern
A lectern is a reading desk with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of support, on which documents or books are placed as support for reading aloud, as in a scripture reading, lecture, or sermon...
with a base of bog
Bog-wood
Bog-wood, also known as morta is wood from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water...
oak, and another base in the form of a palm tree that was intended to form part of the 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...
. The oldest item of furniture is the 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:...
, brought from Holm Cultram Abbey. It dates from the 13th century and consists of an octagonal bowl with crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ed gables on a fragmentary stem.