Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Ralph I Ashton 1695
Dove Bell ID: 51677 Tower ID: 18752 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Brougham: St Ninian
Overview
Grid reference: NY 559 299
Brougham St Ninian (or Ninekirks) stands alone on a bend of the River Eamont north of the A66 and east of Penrith, the present St Ninian's was rebuilt in 1660 by Lady Anne Clifford.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Rectanglar nave and chancel in one cell, of six bays; south porch and west bell-cote.
Description of Archaeology and History
It is traditionally held that the church was founded by St. Ninian himself on his way to Whithorn in the early fifth century, and that when the Romans withdrew from Britain about that time, the Romano-British population was living in a village near Penrith and took refuge from the marauding Danes within the curtilage of the church where there was water, pature and protection. The theory is supported by the continuing asociation of St. Ninian's name with the site, and by the discovery by a grive-digger of a hoard of coins dated by the British Museum as between 400 and 600 A.D.
The church was rebuilt by the indefatigable Lady Anne Clifford of Brougham Castle, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery.
Exterior Description
The low walls and the broad, low-pitched roof give the church a brooding aspect. It is a simple building in Lady Anne's characteristic version of Tudor Gothic with small windows, some round-headed and some four-centred, under rectangular dripstones. The south wall is arranged symmetrically with a centrally placed window flanked by short buttresses with two offsets outside which give a pair of windows, rather narrower than the first, then the two doors to nave and chancel, another pair of buttresses, another pair of windows and finally similar buttresses placed diagonally at the corners of the building.
The west wall has two more of the typical wide single-light windows, not quite a pair, with a buttress between them; the bell-cote on the gable, like the south porch, was added in keeping with the style of Lady Anne's building, and is pierced with a round arch in which hangs one bell. The east wall is almost identical but without a bell-cote. The north wall is divided into six bays by buttresses, of which the middle four are pierced by windows and the outer pair are blind.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
c.1860
In the south-west window by the font, a panel representing "Jesus wept", c.1860.
Interior
Interior Description
Inside the church the walls and plaster panels between the rafters are whitewashed so that, in spite of the small windows, the appearance is quite bright. The floor is paved with stone flags, and the scale and style of the architectural details, with simple reveals for the windows and collar beam trusses to the roof, are almost domestic. The roof is divided into nine bays, with curved braces below and short king-posts above the collar beams.
Fixtures and fittings
Table
The communion table is late seventeenth-century and stands on a stone mensa which pre-dates the present building.
Rail
C.1685
The communion rails, with heavy turned balusters, moulded rails, square posts and single central gate, probably date from c.1685.
Reredos
C.1841
The reredos is a large rectangular wooden panel with a semi-circular head over the central part within which is the Name of God in Hebrew characters.
Panelling
1841
The panelling round the priest's doorway on the south side of the chancel dates from 1841, and is made up of Jacobean fragments
Font (object)
C.1662
The font is octagonal, with a splayed bowl on an octagonal stem and step.
Pulpit
The pulpit with the adjoining reading desk both date from Lady Anne's time. The pulpit is octagonal with panelled sides and brackets at each corner supporting a book rest on all the outer faces. The back-board is also panelled and above it is a tester with embattled cresting and turned pendants at the angles. The reading desk is placed at an angle, and must be passed through before the pulpit is reached.
Screen
The screen separting the chancel from the nave is of oak, with a central doorway and eight single-light divisions on each side. The uprights are baluster- turned and the heads of the lights are ogec- shaped with pierced cusping. The lower part is close-boarded. There were famerly two doors in the central opening, but of those only the heads survive, now nailed in place. The cornice is of 1841.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: NY 559 299
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.
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 | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
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.