Weight: 224 lbs Diameter: 20.63" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1868
Dove Bell ID: 54233 Tower ID: 20265 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Gamblesby: St John
Overview
Grid reference: NY 609 393
Gamblesby is a small historic farming village situated in gently rolling countyside seven miles north of Penrith. The church is externally and internally very plain, built in a solid and severe late 13th century style, with big lancet windows with cusped heads and pointed hood-moulds without stops. It was built in 1868 to a design by C J Ferguson and is unchanged since.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay nave and apsidal chancel in one. South vestry. Tower slightly offset from west gable.
Dimensions:
Approximately 16m (50 feet) x 6m (19 feet).
Description of Archaeology and History
Built in 1868 to a design by C J Ferguson. Unchanged since.
Exterior Description
Externally and internally very plain, built in a solid and severe late 13th century style, with big lancet windows with cusped heads and pointed hood-moulds without stops. There are coupled lancets in the south chancel wall and in the south wall of the vestry. The west wall has three lancets with a sexfoil above, a kind of very solid plate tracery. The north-west doorway is Early English in style, and consists of a single order carried on nook-shafts with annulets and moulded capitals. Hood mould, as above. The vestry has a small door in the east wall.
The chancel is externally defined to the west by a buttress, and by a string-course which runs around the building under the windows, stepped up a foot or so around the chancel. There is also a buttress at the west end, both have three steep weatherings.
The steeply pitched roof is higher than the walls. It is covered in slates. The stumpy west tower provides limited vertical emphasis. Its short broach spire is also clad in slates, with the exception of the narrow wooden belfry stage, which has triple louvred openings in each face.
The windows are set into deep round-headed internal recesses, which despite their slightly splayed reveals limit the light entering the church.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
19th century 5-bay aisled
Chancel
19th century apsidal
Vestry
19th century south
Tower (component)
19th century
Building Materials
Sandstone
19th century Red hammer-dressed sandstone
Timber
19th century dark-stained roof structure
Slate
19th century roof exterior
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is consequently quite gloomy, an effect heightened by the choice of blue emulsion for the walls of the chancel, the greying whitewash in the nave, and the dark-stained furniture and roof.
There is no chancel arch, instead the chancel is internally defined to the west by a step and by moulded corbels with pyramid stops, the other corbels being plain. They carry the simple arch-braced roof. The vestry arch is pointed with a simple chamfer. The floor is of quarry tiles throughout, with a blue carpet down the central aisle.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century Plain oak table.
Reredos
20th century Commandment boards set between the apse windows.
Pulpit
20th century Four sided oak pulpit with Early English blind tracery panels. Stone base.
Lectern
20th century Portable wooden lectern with brass bookrest, recent catalogue piece.
Font (component)
20th century Limestone, square bowl set on narrower chamfered stem and splayed base.
Stained Glass (window)
20th century Floral designs and Biblical text in the chancel apse windows.
Organ (component)
20th century Harmonium by Estey & Co, Brattleboro. 11 stops.
Pew (component)
20th century Pitched pine bench pews with shaped ends, set into a boarded platform.
Stall
20th century Choir stalls with crude poppy-heads.
Rail
20th century Tripartite hinged wooden rail, very chunky, with nail-head decoration carved into the hand-rail.
Bells
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Bible of 1844, restored in 1985. Originally from a Welsh congregational chapel, given to St Michael, Addingham (mother church of St John) in 1959.
Churchyard
Grid reference: NY 609 393
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.