St Mary's Church, Walton
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Walton, is in the village of Walton
, Cumbria
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Brampton, the archdeaconry of Carlisle, and the diocese of Carlisle
. Its benefice is united with those of four nearby parishes. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building.
church, which had itself been rebuilt in 1811 and extended in 1843. The architects were the Lancaster
partnership of Paley and Austin.
. It has slate
roofs with decorative ridge tiles. The plan consists of a four-bay
nave
, a north aisle
, a three-bay chancel, and a tower incorporating a porch at the northwest. On the west wall of the tower is a stair turret
. The entrance to the porch is through a pointed doorway on the north side. The bell openings are also pointed, they contain louvres
, and are Early English in style. On top of the tower is a pyramidal roof with small louvres. The sides of the church differ. The south side contains tall lancet window
s and one quatrefoil
. The north side has a catslide roof extending from the ridge to the edge of the aisle. It contains smaller lancet windows. At the west end are a pair of lancet windows and a rose window
. At the east end are three equal-sized lancet windows with a quatrefoil above.
is a fragment of a cross from the 10th or 11th century. On the walls are marble
memorial plaques moved from the earlier church. The reredos
dates from 1899 and consists of a mosaic
framed in alabaster
. The stained glass in the east window is by William Wailes
and is dated 1869. In the north aisle is a window by Heaton, Butler and Bayne
from about 1912. The age of the single-manual
orgen is not known, but it "could be a very old instrument".
and has a slate roof. It has been listed at Grade II. It is probable that its round-arched window comes from the 1813 church.
Walton, Cumbria
Walton is a village and civil parish in the far north of Cumbria, England. The course of Hadrian's Wall skirts the village to the south. Nearby villages include Newtown, Banks and Lanercost....
, 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 Brampton, 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...
. Its benefice is united with those of four nearby parishes. 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 present church was built in 1869–70 on the site of a previous medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
church, which had itself been rebuilt in 1811 and extended in 1843. The architects were 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...
partnership of Paley and Austin.
Exterior
St Mary's is constructed in 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,...
. It has 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 with decorative ridge tiles. The plan consists of a four-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 north 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...
, a three-bay chancel, and a tower incorporating a porch at the northwest. On the west wall of the tower is a stair 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...
. The entrance to the porch is through a pointed doorway on the north side. The bell openings are also pointed, they contain 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 are Early English in style. On top of the tower is a pyramidal roof with small louvres. The sides of the church differ. The south side contains tall 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 and one quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
. The north side has a catslide roof extending from the ridge to the edge of the aisle. It contains smaller lancet windows. At the west end are a pair of lancet windows and a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
. At the east end are three equal-sized lancet windows with a quatrefoil above.
Interior
The pews and all the furnishings date from the 19th or early 20th century. At the base of the fontBaptismal 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 a fragment of a cross from the 10th or 11th century. On the walls are 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...
memorial plaques moved from the earlier church. The reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
dates from 1899 and consists of a mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
framed in alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
. The stained glass in the east window is by William Wailes
William Wailes
William Wailes, , was the proprietor of one of England’s largest and most prolific stained glass workshops.- Biographical :Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England’s centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. His first business was as a grocer and tea merchant...
and is dated 1869. In the north aisle is a window by Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Heaton, Butler and Bayne is the name of an English firm who produced stained glass windows from 1855 onwards.-History:Clement Heaton originally founded his own stained glass firm in 1852, joined by James Butler in 1855. Between 1859-61 they worked alongside Clayton and Bell and were joined by...
from about 1912. The age of 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...
orgen is not known, but it "could be a very old instrument".
External features
In the churchyard is a hearse house dating from the early 19th century. It is constructed in calciferous sandstoneCalciferous sandstone
Calciferous sandstone is a geological term relating to strata at the base of the Carboniferous formation, below the entire sequence of coal measures...
and has a slate roof. It has been listed at Grade II. It is probable that its round-arched window comes from the 1813 church.