Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Naylor, Vickers & Co
Dove Bell ID: 58566 Tower ID: 22658 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Pallion: St Luke
Overview
Grid reference: NZ 375 573
The church was built in 1872, to the design of the architect J P Pritchett of Darlington, who had an extensive ecclesiastical practice, with most of his work in County Durham and North Yorkshire. His work was usually in the Early English style, occasionally Geometrical Decorated, and often he tried to provide a dominant tower with a spire. A fairly ambitious design consisting of high nave with clearstories, north aisle and north porch, short eastern chancel with four-light geometrical east window, a vestry to the south, and the tower tucked in between the north side of the chancel and the eastern end of the north aisle.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay nave and north aisle, north porch, 2-bay chancel with south vestry, and tower.
Dimensions:
Nave 22m (68 feet) x 11m (34ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 438 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The church was built in 1872, to the design of the architect J P Pritchett of Darlington, who had an extensive ecclesiastical practice, with most of his work in County Durham and North Yorkshire. His work was usually in the Early English style, occasionally Geometrical Decorated, and often he tried to provide a dominant tower with a spire. J P Pritchett's most celebrated building is perhaps the church of St. Nicholas in the Market Place in Durham, designed in 1857. This has been completely gutted and re-ordered in recent years. Regretfully the spire was taken down for "structural reasons" in 1982, the top of the tower now finished with a metal balustrade and corner masonry piers.
Exterior Description
A fairly ambitious design consisting of high nave with clearstories, north aisle and north porch, short eastern chancel with four-light geometrical east window, a vestry to the south, and the tower tucked in between the north side of the chancel and the eastern end of the north aisle. The tower was surmounted by a tall slender spire, now removed, the whole group designed to look their best from the eastern sides, with the tower and spire dominating the townscape of the area.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
Unknown
The four-light chancel east window is by C E Kempe & Co. The eight scenes and tracery lights illustrate the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord, and despite the grime, appears to be a good quality work of this studio. It is dedicated in the name of the benefactor’s wife Martha (died 10th July 1895) by Joseph Short. It was restored in memory of C H G Hopkins, a former incumbent (1939-70) who died in 1989 (brass plaque).
Stained Glass
Unknown
The west window of the north aisle is by Powell & Bros, of Leeds. It depicts Noah building the Ark, chosen no doubt as the window was dedicated by the benefactor, George Short the shipbuilder, who died 6th September 1863 aged 49. The north aisle window adjacent to it was dedicated by John Henry Kent, died 1901 and his wife Elizabeth, and depicts the Annunciation. This may be by George Joseph Baguley & Son of Newcastle.
Stained Glass
1964
The west window of 1964 is by Read Milligan & Co of Newcastle. It is plain glazed except for an emblem in the middle with the dove descending, and coloured round top-lights.
Building Materials
Slate
Unknown
Lake District slate roof
Sandstone
Unknown
Local yellow-grey sandstone
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the church is quite spacious with its high clearstoried nave of five bays, the north arcade of a single moulded order plus hood-mould, sitting on bell-capitals under square abaci, and carved with stiff-leaf enrichments at each corner. All this is in the local yellow-grey sandstone, but for the circular shafts of the piers, red sandstone has been introduced, and similar red sandstone is used in the shafts below the chancel arch and elsewhere.
The original design provided for a south aisle, and the south arcade for this was built into the south wall of the nave, but then infilled with blank walling and two-light windows similar to the clearstorey windows. What was planned as the future south arcade was provided with all the structural elements of arch-voussoirs, capital blocks, and red sandstone piers, but all left blank, without any mouldings or carving.
The north aisle is of average width, and is given architectural interest by being spanned by half-arches at the bay-centres, stabilising the clearstorey and supporting the purlins of the lean-too aisle roof. The walls of the interior are of whitened plaster (apart from the stone dressings), and the roof panels are also white, between the dark softwood rafters, purlins, and simple arch-brace-cum-scissor trusses of the nave roof, and are brought down with wall-posts to simple stone corbels.
The chancel arch repeats the single order of the nave arcade, but at springing level is carried on pairs of stiff-leaf capitals, short red sandstone shafts and chamfered corbels, and smaller versions of these capitals and shafts support the arch-brace trusses of the chancel roof.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
Unknown
Fairly short High Altar. Probably not original.
Reredos
1880-1900
Painted white and the arches and hood-moulds of the four-bay arcaded panelling picked out in red and gold paint. Gold paint (not gilding) has been applied to the five stiff-leaf capitals which are carried on five polished marble shafts (original). Hung within the reredos arcading are four modern icon paintings.
Pulpit
1880-1900
Hexagonal oak pulpit with panelled front.
Lectern
1880-1900
Brass eagle
Font (object)
1880-1900
Octagonal stone font, painted glossy white and with the emblem in the recessed main picked out in gold paint.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: NZ 375 573
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
Quinquennial Inspections
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.