Warkworth Hermitage
Encyclopedia
Warkworth Hermitage is an unusual relic situated on the North bank of the River Coquet
in Northumberland
, England
, close to the village
of Warkworth
.
The Hermitage
consists of an outer portion built of stone
, and an inner portion hewn from the steep rock above the river
. This inner part comprises a chapel
and a smaller chamber
, both having altar
s. There is an altar-tomb with a female effigy
in the chapel.
From the window between the inner chamber and the chapel, and from other details, the date
of the work may be placed in the latter part of the fourteenth century, the characteristics being late Decorated
. The traditional story of the origin of the hermitage, attributing it to one of the Bertrams of Bothal Castle
in this county, is told in Bishop Percy's ballad
The Hermit of Warkworth (1771).
The carving in the window is a nativity scene, the female is Mary with the new born child at her breast; the item at her feet is the head of a bull, and the figure at her shoulder is an angel. Of the dedication crosses placed at the time of its construction only one is visible, the altar was plain the crafety is just that. The ballad is to all intents fiction as the chapel was built as a chantry, and occupied by a series of clergy from 1489 to 1536; since that time it has remained as it is today.
Warkworth Hermitage belongs to English Heritage
and is normally open to the public during the summer season.
River Coquet
The River Coquet runs through the county of Northumberland, England, discharging into the North Sea on the east coast of England at Amble. Warkworth Castle is built in a loop of the Coquet....
in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, close to the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of Warkworth
Warkworth, Northumberland
Warkworth is a village in Northumberland, England. It is probably best known for its well-preserved medieval castle, church and hermitage. At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Warkworth was 1,493.-Geography:...
.
The Hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
consists of an outer portion built of stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, and an inner portion hewn from the steep rock above the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
. This inner part comprises a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
and a smaller chamber
Room
A room is any distinguishable space within a structure.Room may also refer to:* Room , by Emma Donoghue* Room, Nepal* Room for PlayStation Portable, a social networking service* Thomas Gerald Room , Australian mathematician...
, both having altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
s. There is an altar-tomb with a female effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
in the chapel.
From the window between the inner chamber and the chapel, and from other details, the date
Calendar date
A date in a calendar is a reference to a particular day represented within a calendar system. The calendar date allows the specific day to be identified. The number of days between two dates may be calculated. For example, "24 " is ten days after "14 " in the Gregorian calendar. The date of a...
of the work may be placed in the latter part of the fourteenth century, the characteristics being late Decorated
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. The traditional story of the origin of the hermitage, attributing it to one of the Bertrams of Bothal Castle
Bothal Castle
Bothal Castle stands by the River Wansbeck in the village of Bothal, between Morpeth and Ashington in Northumberland, England. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building.It is possibly the site of a Norman castle....
in this county, is told in Bishop Percy's ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
The Hermit of Warkworth (1771).
The carving in the window is a nativity scene, the female is Mary with the new born child at her breast; the item at her feet is the head of a bull, and the figure at her shoulder is an angel. Of the dedication crosses placed at the time of its construction only one is visible, the altar was plain the crafety is just that. The ballad is to all intents fiction as the chapel was built as a chantry, and occupied by a series of clergy from 1489 to 1536; since that time it has remained as it is today.
Warkworth Hermitage belongs to 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...
and is normally open to the public during the summer season.