St Bartholomew's Church, Barbon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Bartholomew's Church, Barbon
St Bartholomew's Church, Barbon, from the southeast
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OS grid reference	SD 631,825
Location	Barbon, Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Bartholomew, Barbon
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Bartholomew
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	21 February 1989
Architect(s)	Paley, Austin and Paley
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1892
Completed	1893
Specifications
Materials	Stone
Administration
Parish	Kirkby Lonsdale
Deanery	Kendal
Archdeaconry	Westmorland and Furness
Diocese	Carlisle
Province	York

St Bartholomew's Church is a beautiful old church located in the small village of Barbon, which is in Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it is part of the Church of England. This church serves the local community as a parish church. It is also part of a larger group of churches called the Kirkby Lonsdale Team Ministry.

St Bartholomew's Church is very important historically. It is officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a particularly important building of special interest, and it is protected to make sure it stays in good condition for many years to come.

History of St Bartholomew's Church

The church you see today is not the first one built here. There was an older, smaller church on this spot by the year 1610. This first church was rebuilt in 1815. However, almost all of that 1815 building is gone now. Only a porch remains, which is used as a storage shed today.

The current St Bartholomew's Church was built between 1892 and 1893. It was designed by a famous team of architects from Lancaster called Paley, Austin and Paley. Building this new church was quite expensive at the time, costing about £3,000. This would be like spending a lot of money today!

Exploring the Church's Design

Outside the Church

The church is built from strong stone, and its roofs are made of stone-slates. The building has a main area called the nave, which is four sections long. On either side of the nave are two smaller areas called aisles. There is also a porch on the south side where people enter.

You will also see a south transept, which is a part of the church that sticks out, making the building look like a cross shape from above. On the north side, there's a space for the organ and a vestry, which is a room for the clergy. The chancel is the area near the altar.

A tall tower stands where the nave and transept meet, called the crossing. The church's style is called Perpendicular Gothic, which means it has tall, straight lines and large windows.

• The windows in the aisles have two or three sections of glass.
• The transept window has two sections, and the organ loft window has three.
• There is a large window at the west end with three sections.
• The chancel has a big window at the east end with five sections and a smaller one on the south side with two.

The south porch has a pointed roof and a special archway. Above this arch, there's a small niche (a shallow alcove) with a statue inside. On the southeast corner of the tower, you can see a square turret with stairs inside. The west side of the tower has a single window and a clock face above it. The openings for the bells have three sections and are covered with louvred slats. The top of the tower has a parapet with a embattled design, like the top of a castle wall. On top of the tower is a pyramid-shaped roof with a tall cross.

Inside the Church

When you step inside, you'll notice the walls are covered with smooth, cut stone called ashlar. The main walkways, or arcades, are supported by eight-sided pillars. Most of the church's furniture and decorations were designed by the same architects who built the church. Local craftspeople carved these beautiful pieces.

Inside, you can also see the Royal arms from 1815. The colorful stained glass in the west window was made in 1893 by a company called Powell's. It was designed by an artist named Harrington Mann. The other stained glass windows in the church were made by Shrigley and Hunt.

The church has a large organ with two manuals (keyboards), which was built in 1903 by J. W. Walker. There are also six bells in the tower that make up a ring. Five of these bells were made by John Taylor of Loughborough. Three were cast in 1893, one in 1897, and another in 1964. The newest bell was made in 2003 by a company called Eijsbouts.

See also

• Listed buildings in Barbon
• List of works by Paley, Austin and Paley