Ninekirks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Ninian's church
St Ninian's church
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OS grid reference	NY 5593029962
Location	St Ninian's church Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	https://www.visitchurches.org.uk/visit/church-listing/st-ninians-brougham.html
History
Dedication	St Ninian
Architecture
Functional status	closed
Closed	1934

St Ninian's church, often called Ninekirks, is a historic church in Brougham, Cumbria. It is named after Saint Ninian. This church used to be the main church for the local area. Today, it is looked after because of its interesting architecture. The church mostly looks like it did in the 1600s. People have called it Ninekirks since at least 1583.

Why Ninekirks Is Special

This church is very important and is a Grade I listed building. This means it is considered a building of special historical interest. Ninekirks is one of only a few churches built during the Commonwealth of England (a time when England was not ruled by a king). It has also changed very little since it was built.

History of Ninekirks

The area where Ninekirks stands has been used for a very long time. The Romans built a fort nearby called Brocavum. People have lived on the church site since Roman times. We know this because a collection of old Roman coins, called the Ninekirks Hoard, was found there.

The area has been linked to St. Ninian for a long time. Some people think early hermits (people who live alone for religious reasons) might have used caves nearby.

Around the 1200s, the main village moved closer to Brougham Hall. The Hall had its own chapel, so the church at Ninekirks was not used as much.

In 1659, a powerful woman named Lady Anne Clifford rebuilt the church. She owned Brougham Castle at the time. The work was finished the next year.

Ninekirks was sometimes used when the chapel at Brougham Hall was not available. For example, from 1764 to the 1840s, weddings were held at Ninekirks. This was because the Brougham Chapel needed repairs. Ninekirks itself was repaired in the 1840s. A porch was added in 1841. During these repairs, old tombs inside the church were explored. These included tombs of people like Udard de Broham, who died around 1185.

In the early 1950s, the church became more active when Canon Bouch was the Rector. He wrote many articles about the church's history. In 1977, Ninekirks became a redundant church. This means it is no longer used for regular services. Now, the Churches Conservation Trust looks after it.

Family Memorials (Hatchments)

Inside the church, you can see three special painted wooden panels called hatchments. These panels were put up to remember important people who had died.

• One remembers Elizabeth Richmond (died 1729) and Peter Brougham (died 1732).
• Another is for Eleanora Syme (died 1839). She was married to Henry Brougham (died 1810). He was the father of the 1st Baron.
• The third remembers Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (died 1868) and Mary Anne Eden (died 1865).

Exploring the Past (Archaeology)

The church and the land around it have been studied by archaeologists several times.

• During repairs in the 1840s, excavations took place inside the church. This is when ancient tombs were explored.
• In 1913, archaeologists explored caves at a place called Isis Parlis. They wanted to learn how the caves formed and how people used them.
• The collection of Roman coins (the coin hoard) was found in 1914.
• In 1968, an aerial photograph showed crop marks. These are patterns in crops that suggest there might have been a small monastery (a place where monks lived) there long ago.

See also

• Brougham Castle
• Grade I listed churches in Cumbria
• Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria
• Listed buildings in Brougham, Cumbria
• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England