Rookhope: St John the Evangelist
Overview
Grid reference: NY 942 422
Built in 1905 by a nationally recognised architectural practice, Caröe & Passmore, to replace a demolished church of 1822-4 to the south where the former churchyard remains. The simply detailed and constructed building sits in harmony with its surrounding landscape and has merit in its simplicity of form.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
4-bay nave and choir with south-west porch, chancel with south organ chamber and south-east vestry.
Dimensions:
[Approximate] Nave 16m (52ft) x 6.5m (21ft), chancel 3.6m (12ft) x 4m (13ft)
Footprint of Church buildings: 217 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Rookhope, meaning the Valley of Rooks, is an isolated former mining community. It was largely established during the 19th century though lead mines have been recorded since 1666. The Weatherhill and Rookhope mineral railway, owned by the Weardale Iron Company, arrived in 1846 (closed 1921). Railway workers cottages, which line the main street through Rookhope, were built in 1861. Lead and ironstone were mined followed by fluorspar in the 20th century. There is evidence of earlier settlement – a number of small Roman finds have been discovered, and medieval farms have been identified. There are many archaeological records relating to the mining industry within the vicinity.
Pevsner describes how St John’s was built from the stones of a demolished church. This church, reputedly designated Holy Trinity, was built on the bank of the Burn in 1822, south of the current site and west of the former vicarage. It was taken down in 1904, allegedly due to flooding and subsidence, and the stones carried up hill to the current location.
The new church was designed by William Douglas Caröe [1857-1938] an architect with a national reputation and a vast experience in ecclesiastical design, not least as architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners from 1895. He had arts and crafts sensibilities – promotion of craftsmen and design of every detail – but he was also interested in new materials and techniques. Freeman describes his practice, in which Passmore became a partner in 1903 (but is unlikely to have worked on the Rookhope commission), as the ‘largest and busiest architectural practices in the country in Edwardian times’. She describes his view of the architect’s job as being inclusive and embracing all aspects of building work and interior design which suggests some features inside the church could have been designed by him too. In the same year Caröe was commissioned to design Broughton Moor, St Columba (directly due west on west coast) - the designs share similarities. Freeman describes the two as Caröe’s most appealing churches. Of St Columba she explains that it was simply detailed so it could be built by unskilled labour from the local mining community – presumably the same idea existed for Rookhope. In the designs Caröe drew upon Saxon and Norman precedents, expressed in the use of round-arches, flat buttresses and broad segmental-arched timbers. St John’s also has depressed arches, a motif he frequently employed.
A foundation stone is visible in the west wall which is inscribed ‘This stone was laid with masonic honours’ in July 1904 by Rt Wor Grand Master of Durham. The locals are said to have paid £100 towards the construction with the Freemasons apparently paying the remainder. A Faculty for alterations and improvements was granted in 1909.
The archaeological potential of the site is low. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot, though it contains mature trees and is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and an Environmentally Sensitive Area.
Exterior Description
The poet, W H Auden once described Rookhope as 'the most wonderfully desolate of all the dales'. St John’s is a small church in a very remote location to one side of Rookhope, with fields and hills rolling out around and beyond it. The simple building which Pevsner describes as being ‘in moorland style’ sits in harmony with its setting, the low lines of the building and the tonality and texture of the stone, blend with the hillside into which it is nestled, almost appearing to have grown out of it.
The church was built in uncoursed rubble walling, as per the local tradition [Freeman], with ashlar quoins and surrounds. The church has a slight stepped plinth to each side. Simple flat buttresses rise the height of the walls between each bay. The bays are punctuated on the north side by four individual round-headed windows (ventilation grates positioned centrally beneath them). The west, east and south gables have three round-headed windows grouped together. The west window in the porch is square-headed. All windows have original iron bars outside.
A long single nave roof extends east-west, with a gabled south porch breaking off towards the west end and at the east end a larger gabled extension containing the organ chamber and vestry. The roof, which is tiled in Westmoreland slate, is punctuated at the west end by a redundant chimney and to the east, a chimney from the vestry. A simple timber bell-cote (containing a single bell) extends from the west gable, whilst the east gable is surmounted by a stone cross finial. On the gable ends of the nave roof and south extension is an unusual feature where stone and mortar is overlaid to create the appearance of a solid roll. Iron scrolls protrude from each end. The inspecting architect concludes that these served to stabilise the verge slates and that the rolls are held in place by iron cramps anchored into the wall. Beneath the roof tiles are cast iron gutters and around the whole building beneath them are timber verge boards.
In the north-west corner, the remains of a boiler house are visible in the ground. A dedication stone is located in the south-west buttress and near to it a large stone cross leans against the west wall of the porch, presumably a remnant of the older church.
There are three steps up into the south porch which is entered through a deeply chamfered round arch. There is another step up through the door into the church. An alternative entry is through the vestry door, which also has a step.
Building Fabric and Features
Nave
20th century 4-bay nave
Choir
20th century
Porch
20th century south-west
Chancel
20th century
Organ (component)
20th century chamber
Vestry
20th century south-east
Building Materials
Sandstone
20th century coursed squared sandstone
Ashlar
20th century dressings and quoins
Slate
20th century Westmoreland roof tiles
Stone
20th century gable copings
Interior
Interior Description
The porch door opens into the south-west corner and is set beneath a round arch. The small, rustic, interior is covered by a stained softwood arch-braced collar-beam roof with wind braces, and boarding behind. The trusses come to rest between each bay, in line with the external buttresses. In the bare stone walls, the round-headed windows are set within deep splays and are filled with rectangular leaded panes of clear glass (the only coloured glass is at the east end). Bulbs with glass lamps are suspended from the ceiling to supplement natural light in the nave.
The nave has a level woodblock floor seated with unfixed pine pews with frontals. Stone paving in the aisles is laid with a strip of carpet. The choir is located within the main body of the church, raised by two stone steps. Oak stalls to north and south are placed on woodblock floors, with the rear stall raised slightly. Decorative floor tiles are laid in the aisle. To the south, a large round arch formed in ashlar leads through to a space which contains the organ and the vestry behind it (stoop in south-east corner). Plaster has been retained on the walls in the vestry and south side of organ chamber.
The chancel is entered through a chunky round ashlar arch. There are two stone steps up to the chancel where floor tiles behind the communion rails are more decorative. The space is ceiled in a wood-boarded barrel vault. The altar is raised by another two steps. A sedilia is set within the south wall and a single light pierces the north wall.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
20th century sturdy plain oak altar table with carved/scrolled ends, W H Wood, 1925
Reredos
20th century gilded and painted tripartite reredos, erected by Woman's Help Society in memory of Vicar Forbes 1915-19 as recorded by a plaque, faculty records show installation in 1925
Lectern
20th century Brass eagle, inscribed in memory of J Roddam, d,1903 and given in 1904.
Font (component)
19th century octagonal stone bowl on flared base, inventory dates c 1866
Rail
20th century oak, unusual design, splayed legs support rail
Stained Glass (window)
20th century East window of three lancets. Depicts Christ on the Cross with the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist to either side. Memorial inscription along the bottom – in memory of Westgarth, d.1905.
Organ (component)
20th century 1905 single manual organ by Positive Organ Co Ltd, London
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers: Stored at Durham County Record Office - burials, 1855; confirmations, 1903; services, 1955; marriages, 1842-1999; baptisms, 1855.
Churchyard
Grid reference: NY 942 422
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
Sources
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