Penrith: Christ Church
Diocese of Carlisle
Church, 607148
http://https://www.parishofpenrith.org.uk/This church is on the Heritage at Risk Register (verified 2024-11-14)
View more information about this church on the Heritage at Risk website
Overview
Grid reference: NY 513 305
A mid C19th church in Gothic Revival style by Travis & Magnell (1850) The west gable wall carries an unusual octagonal belfry with stone spire corbelled out from the wall and braced with buttresses in the east/west and north/south axes. The church comprises nave and raised chancel and sanctuary, north and south aisles. There is a chapel to the south side of the chancel and organ chamber to the north side and with choir vestry and vestry to the north west corner. The west end of the church has been re-ordered with removal of seating to the west of the entrance porch and insertion of a meeting room, kitchen and toilets. The architectural style of these alterations detracts from the general architectural integrity of the church. Internal architectural detailing of the C19th work is well executed if uninspiring. Externally walling masonry is of random coursed rock faced ashlar between tooled red sandstone buttresses, window surrounds, window mouldings and string courses. Gables have stone copings and there are several finely worked external carved features.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Four-bay aisled nave with west ball-cote; two-bay chancel flanked by a chapel on the south and vestries on the north.
Footprint of Church buildings: 519 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
To come
Exterior Description
The walls are of red sandstone, the roofs covered with slates.
The church is unobtrusive; it was originally intended to have a tower, but this was not achieved because of lack of funds. As a result, the horizontal emphasis is stronger than the vertical, and the church makes little impression on the townscape of Penrith. It is, however, agreeably situated in its large park-like churchyard which in itself forms a pleasant contrast to the crowded tangle of streets which forms the centre of the town nearby.
The church is a straightforward essay in the late Decorated style, with sone Perpendicular features (such as the east window tracery) which may be later improvements. It is a surprisingly scholarly attempt at this date. The west front is symmetrical about a narrow but very prominent central buttress; on each side of this in the nave wall is a two-light window with cusped lights and a pair of panels in the tracery above, and above these are small niches which seen never to have had statues. The aisle windows, beyond buttresses, are lower than the nave windows, but of much the same proportions. On top of the central buttress stands the small octagonal bell-cote, supported by corbelling carved as angels.
The north and south sides of the nave are symmetrical, of four bays with two-light windows in each bay much like those in the west wall. There is no clerestory, so that a large expanse of roof is apparent, broken only by a small line of stonework about six inches high; the aisle roofs are at a less steep pitch than the slopes of the nave roof. The south porch stands in the predictable place, the second bay from the west, and has a plain arched doorway and small lancets in the side walls.
The south chapel of the chancel continues the line of the south aisle of the nave on plan, but is slightly lower in elevation (so little indeed as to make no difference). The line of the chancel roof also is only just lower than the sridge of the nave roof. This all serves to emphasize the horizontal elements of the design. The cast window of the south chapel is of three lights with a quatrefoil in the tracery above. The chapel stops short of the cast wall of the chancel, allowing space for a three-light window in the south wall to light the sanctuary.
The east wall of the chancel is chiefly taken up by the large five-light east window, the main lights of which have cusped heads while the uprights continue up through the tracery to the arched surround. The tracery is partly intersectingand partly panel. The vestry on the north side, unlike the south chapel, does come as far east as the chancel wall and, perhaps to show its less formal function, has a square-headed Tudor window in the east wall gabled choir vestry was added in 1906.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
c.1850s
The east window represents the Four Evangelists, St. Andrew, St. Peter and St. Paul together with angels and the symbols of the Evangelists in the tracery lights. Set in clear glass in the main lights are three panels with The Nativity, The Deposition and The Ascension; the window appears to date add from 1850-60 and shows German influence in the colours and figure drawing.
Stained Glass
c.1890
South chancel: three lights representing the text 'Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature'.
Stained Glass
1850
East window of south chapel; six scenes of the Acts of Mercy in small panels with vigorous coloured foliage behind. The scenes are portrayed with delightful simplicity with two or three figures in each simply set against deep blue backgrounds. It was given by Janes Barratt of Maiden Hill who also gave £200 towards the building of the church; the monogram of Wailes and the date 1850 appear in the left corner.
Stained Glass
c.1850
Two grisaille windows in the south chapel.
Stained Glass
South aisle: two lights representing Christ with the Children and Christ the Good Shepherd, with an angel in the tracery light. In memory of the Revd. W. M. Schnibben, Vicar 1880-93.
Stained Glass
c.1905
North aisles: two lights representing two scenes from the Parable of the Good Samritan, by Shrigley and Hunt
Interior
Interior Description
The four bays of the nave arcades are very wide in proportion to their height and have moulded arches carried on octagonal piers with castellated capitals. The label stops are carved as heads with singularly blank expressions. Although there is no space for a clerestory (and this is an aesthetic defect as well as a practical one), the recently whitened walls help to keep the church from being gloony, as well as contrasting with the red-grey stonework and the dark woodwork. Moreover, the majority of windows have clear glass. The roof, of pine stained very dark, is carried on stone corbels, and has arch braces interrupted by short boans with ends carved as angels giving the effect of incipient hannerbeans. The spandrels have pierced quatrefoils. The roof structures are thin, with arch braces only at each bay. The font stands by the south door.
The tall wide chancel arch makes a slight division between nave and chancel, and is re-inforced by the western sides of the priest's stalls which are treated as a low screen. A modern oak lectern of part-classical and part-Jacobean inspiration stands on the left and the big stone pulpit on the right. The screen of the south chancel chapel follows the simple design of the screen to the west front of the organ on the opposite side of the chancel.
The character of the chancel derives from a refurnishing carried out about 1900 at which time the organ was noved to the north aisle, and put behind arches to which its case bears no relationship at all. The floor is paved with green, black and white marble and the low choirstalls and priest's stalls in heavy (but finely-detailed) oak were presented. The sanctuary is panolled with oak, with the same trefoiled tracery of simple design as the screen to the south chapel.
Fixtures and fittings
Font (object)
The font is a small octagon of freestone with flowers in quatrefoils on each face of the bowl. That towards the door has a small head in the centre of the floret.
Pulpit
The Pulpit is much like the font, with the quatrefoils but without the flowers. There are heads at the corners of the frioze.
Lectern
1956
The lectorn, in pale oak, consists of a fluted columm bearing the reading desk supported by scrolls at the foot of a Jacobean design; given in 1956.
Organ (object)
The organ, by Jardine of Manchester, has three manuals, twenty- four speaking stops and tracker action. It is an enlargementof 1896 of an instrument bought in about 1865 for £400.
Churchyard
Grid reference: NY 513 305
Burial and War Grave Information
The church/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
Sources
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