St Mary & St Michael, Egremont facts for kids

St Mary & St Michael, Egremont
St Mary & St Michael, Egremont
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OS grid reference	NY 0111810565
Location	Egremont, Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	St Mary & St Michael
Administration
Parish	Egremont
Deanery	Calder
Archdeaconry	West Cumberland
Diocese	Carlisle
Province	York

St Mary & St Michael is a church in Egremont, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church. This means it is a local church that serves a specific area. It is part of the diocese of Carlisle. The church is also a Grade II listed building, which means it is an important historical building.

History of the Church

The St Mary & St Michael's Church you see today was built in 1881. It was designed by an architect named T.L. Banks from Whitehaven. This new church replaced a much older one from the 12th century.

Inside the church, there is a special area for baptisms called the baptistry. It was given by the Freemasons of Egremont in 1883. This area has seven beautiful stained-glass windows.

In 1901, the church tower was made taller by 42 feet. This work was done by Oliver & Dodgshun from Carlisle. The tower also holds a set of eight bells. These bells were a gift from Lord Leconfield.

Church Design and Features

The church is built from strong, rough-cut sandstone blocks. It has a roof made of slate tiles. The roof slopes down on both sides of the chancel, which is the area around the altar.

There is a tower at the north-west corner of the church. It has four levels. The main door on the ground floor of the tower has a pointed arch. It is decorated with carvings of leaves. There is another similar door in the porch on the south side.

Some of the windows in the church are very old. They are called lancet windows and were reused from the original 12th-century church. You can find them in the chancel and the north aisle.

Inside, the church has pointed arches throughout. The main part of the church, called the nave, has five sections. These sections are supported by columns with leaf-like designs on their tops. The nave roof is also held up by special supports called corbels.

In the chancel, there are two seats called sedilia and a special basin called a piscina. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is made of Caen stone and has figures made of alabaster. These figures are supported by marble pillars.

One interesting feature is the font, which is used for baptisms. It has a sculpture of a kneeling angel holding a large scallop shell. This design was copied from a famous sculpture in the Lutheran Cathedral in Copenhagen.

Above the altar, there is a carved screen called a reredos. Above that, there is a large stained glass window. The glass in the round "rose window" was replaced in 1992 with a new design by Christine Boyce.

Churchyard and War Graves

The church has a churchyard, which is a burial ground. In an extended part of the churchyard, there are two graves from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. These graves belong to soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars.