St Michael's Church, Beetham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Beetham |
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St Michael's Church, Beetham, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | SD 496,796 |
| Location | Beetham, Cumbria |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Michael, Beetham |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 12 February 1962 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Mainly limestone with sandstone dressings |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Beetham |
| Deanery | Kendal |
| Archdeaconry | Westmoreland and Furness |
| Diocese | Carlisle |
| Province | York |
St Michael's Church is a beautiful old church located in the village of Beetham, Cumbria, England. It's an active Anglican parish church, which means it's part of the Church of England and still holds regular services for the local community. This church is very special because it's listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's considered one of the most important historic buildings in the country!
Contents
History of St Michael's Church
The oldest part of St Michael's Church might be the lower section of its tower. Experts think this part could date back to the Anglo-Saxon era, a very long time ago!
Building Over the Centuries
Over many years, different parts of the church were added or changed:
- Around the year 1200, the south aisle (a side section of the church) was built.
- In the 13th century, the chancel (the area around the altar) was made longer.
- In the 14th century, the Beetham chapel was added.
- The south aisle was made wider in the 15th century.
- In the 16th century, the top part of the tower was built.
Victorian Restoration Work
In the 1870s, the church went through a big "restoration". This means it was repaired and updated. During this time, a new south porch was added. There's a bit of a mystery about who exactly did this work. Some records say it was Joseph Bintley, while others point to the architects Paley and Austin from Lancaster.
Architecture and Design
St Michael's Church is built mainly from limestone rocks, with sandstone details. Its roof is made of lead. The church has a rectangular shape.
Outside the Church
The church has a main area called the nave and a chancel at the east end. It also has north and south aisles, a north vestry (a room for changing clothes), and a south chapel. There's a south porch where people enter and a tall tower at the west end.
The West Tower
The tower has two main sections. The lower part has a doorway from the 14th century. Above this door is a window with two sections. The top part of the tower sticks out a little and has openings for bells. At the very top, there's a battlemented parapet (a low wall with gaps, like a castle) with pointy decorations called crocketted pinnacles. There's also a weather vane from the 20th century.
Windows and Entrances
- At the east end, the chancel has a large window from the 19th century with five sections.
- Both side aisles have windows from the 15th century with three sections.
- At the west end, to the left of the tower, there's a 15th-century window with three sections. To the right, there's a late 14th-century window with two sections.
- On the south side, there's a porch with a pointed roof and windows with two or three sections.
- On the north side, there's a doorway and five windows from the 15th century, each with three sections.
All the windows are in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in England during the late Middle Ages.
Inside the Church
When you step inside, you'll see different styles of architecture.
Arcades and Font
The south arcade (a row of arches) is in the Norman style. It has round columns called piers and rounded arches. The north arcade was built later, in the 15th century. It has eight-sided columns and pointed arches. The cover for the font (where baptisms happen) is also eight-sided and dates back to 1636. Most of the other furniture inside the church is from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Stained Glass and Monuments
The south window in the southeast chapel has small pieces of medieval and 17th-century stained glass. These pieces were put back together in the 1870s by Frederick Burrow, who also worked on other windows. The large east window was made in 1881 by a company called Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Some of the windows in the nave were designed by Shrigley and Hunt. The oldest monument inside is in the southeast chapel. It's a tomb with effigies (statues of people) from around 1490. Sadly, it was damaged in 1647.
Outside the Church Grounds
In the churchyard, there is a special memorial to remember those who fought in the First World War. It's a Celtic-style cross made of sandstone, standing on sandstone steps. It's surrounded by limestone walls. A plaque was added later to also remember those from the Second World War. This war memorial is also a listed building, designated as Grade II.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Cumbria
- Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria
- Listed buildings in Beetham
- List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
