St Mungo's Church, Dearham
Encyclopedia
St Mungo's Church, Dearham, is in the village of Dearham
, Cumbria
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Solway, the archdeaconry of West Cumberland, and the diocese of Carlisle
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
was of the opinion that the Norman
features, including the south door and some windows, date from about 1170–90, and that the tunnel vault
in the lowest stage of the tower is also from this period or "a little later". The north aisle
was added by C. J. Ferguson in 1882.
with green slate
roofs. The foundations incorporate stones from former Roman
buildings. Its plan consists of a three-bay
nave
with a north aisle and south porch, and a two-bay chancel
at a lower level. At the west end is a square tower in three storeys. It has a two-light west window and two-light bell openings, and other small windows on each face. It is possible that this was a pele tower
. The roofs have coped
gable
s and cross finial
s. In the nave and the aisle the windows date from the 19th century, while the windows in the chancel are original; also in the chancel is a priest's doorway. Medieval
graveslabs are built into the wall of the aisle.
is Norman, and is carved with representations of dragons and various patterns. The roof, fittings and furniture all date from the 19th century. The only stained glass is in the east window; it is by Clayton and Bell
and depicts the Ascension. Pevsner refers to the "remarkable collection of Anglo-Danish fragments". These carved stones include a wheel-head cross
standing 5 in 4 in (1.63 m) high; the Adam stone, with depictions of standing figures holding hands, a bearded head and the word "Adam"; and the Kenneth Cross, commemorating Kenneth/Cenydd
, with images of a man on a horse, and a bird facing a man.
Dearham
Dearham is a village and civil parish in the Allerdale district of Cumbria, England. It is situated in West Cumbria, about east of Maryport and west of Cockermouth. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,028. It is a large, strung-out village...
, 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 Solway, the archdeaconry of West Cumberland, 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...
. 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 Mungo's dates from the late 12th century, and the chancel was added in the 13th century. The architectural historian Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
was of the opinion that the 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, including the south door and some windows, date from about 1170–90, and that the tunnel 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...
in the lowest stage of the tower is also from this period or "a little later". The 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...
was added by C. J. Ferguson in 1882.
Exterior
The church is constructed in 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,...
with green 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. The foundations incorporate stones from former Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
buildings. Its plan consists of a three-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...
with a north aisle and south porch, and a two-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...
at a lower level. At the west end is a square tower in three storeys. It has a two-light west window and two-light bell openings, and other small windows on each face. It is possible that this was a pele tower
Peel tower
Peel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
. The roofs have coped
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
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...
s and cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. In the nave and the aisle the windows date from the 19th century, while the windows in the chancel are original; also in the chancel is a priest's doorway. Medieval
Middle 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...
graveslabs are built into the wall of the aisle.
Interior
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 Norman, and is carved with representations of dragons and various patterns. The roof, fittings and furniture all date from the 19th century. The only stained glass is in the east window; it is by Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
and depicts the Ascension. Pevsner refers to the "remarkable collection of Anglo-Danish fragments". These carved stones include a wheel-head cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
standing 5 in 4 in (1.63 m) high; the Adam stone, with depictions of standing figures holding hands, a bearded head and the word "Adam"; and the Kenneth Cross, commemorating Kenneth/Cenydd
Cenydd
Cenydd was a Christian hermit saint who lived in Britain in Gower and in France in Brittany, probably in the 6th century...
, with images of a man on a horse, and a bird facing a man.