St Mary Magdalene's Church, Gilsland facts for kids

St Mary Magdalene’s Church is a small church built in the Victorian era. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. You can find it on a quiet hillside in north-east Cumbria, England. Even though it's the main church for the village of Gilsland, it's almost a mile away. It might have been built for people visiting the nearby Gilsland Spa hotel, as well as for the villagers.

The church was founded by G.G. Mounsey, a local landowner and the first elected mayor of Carlisle. He even wrote a book explaining why he built the church. This book helps us understand why many churches were built or restored during the Victorian times. Services at St Mary Magdalene's are typical for an Anglican church, but they are known for being relaxed and friendly.

Why Was St Mary Magdalene's Church Built?

The church building started in 1851 and was officially opened on October 3rd, 1854. It cost about £800 to build, which was a lot of money back then! George Gill Mounsey, who lived in Rockcliffe, Carlisle, paid for much of it. He also built the Gilsland Spa Hotel nearby in 1860. Both buildings were designed by the same architect, Mr. James Stewart from Carlisle.

A new church area, called a parish, was created for Gilsland. It was taken from the larger parish of Lanercost. This new area was very big, covering about 18,240 acres. It stretched about 13 miles north towards Kielder Forest and south to the A69 road. To the east, it met the Greenhead parish, and to the west, the Nether Denton parish.

George Mounsey wrote in his book about the history of the area. He explained that after Henry VIII destroyed the nearby Lanercost Priory, there was no one to continue the religious work the monks had done. Mounsey believed this led to a decline in good behavior. He also showed that priests in the area found it hard to earn enough money from the small tithes (payments to the church). So, he built and supported St Mary Magdalene's to help fix these problems.

What Does St Mary Magdalene's Church Look Like?

Outside the Church

The church is built from rough stone and has a simple design. It follows the Early English style, which was popular for churches a long time ago. There's a big porch on the south side of the main part of the church (called the nave). Look closely at the stone carvings above the doorway! You'll see heads of Bishop Waldegrave and Queen Victoria. On the east wall, there are two more carved heads, and one of them seems to be St Mary Magdalene herself.

The church has a small bell tower with one bell. This bell was made by J Blaylock in 1852. It has a Latin message on it: "Soli Deo Laus Hominibus Pax," which means "Peace to men, praise to God alone."

The beautiful stained glass window behind the altar and the two windows on the west wall were made by Scott of Carlisle. The window above the altar shows St Mary Magdalene, the saint the church is named after. She is holding a white lily, which is her special symbol. The two windows on the west side show St Peter and St Paul. These three windows were originally part of a much larger window in Rockcliffe church. George Mounsey brought them here when the Rockcliffe window was changed. The St Mary Magdalene panel was a bit too short for its new spot, so plain glass was added to fill the gap.

Inside the Church

The stone pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) and the font (for baptisms) are as old as the church itself. In the Chancel (the area near the altar), there's a two-manual organ. This organ was made by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and was put in place in 1901. It cost £172.

The choir stalls, where the choir sits, are made of carved oak. The prayer desk near the font was also made by a local carpenter named Mr. James Wilson. He lived in Mumps Hall in the village. He also carved the oak screen that separates the chancel from the rest of the church. The top part of this screen was removed in 1958 and now forms the front of the altar.

The oak reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) and the wooden panels on the walls are there to remember George Mounsey, who founded the church. You can find a brass plaque (a special metal plate) honoring him on the panels to the right of the organ. There's another plaque closer to the organ. This one remembers W.R. Wright, who used to be the organist and choir master. He was the son of the vicar Adam Wright, who is mentioned on the lectern (where readings are given).