St Michael's Church, Torpenhow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Torpenhow |
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St Michael's Church, Torpenhow, from the northwest
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| 54°44′49″N 3°14′07″W / 54.7469°N 3.2353°W | |
| OS grid reference | NY 205 398 |
| Location | Torpenhow, Cumbria |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | The Binsey Team Ministry |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | Early 12th century |
| Dedication | St Michael and All Angels |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 11 April 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman |
| Completed | 1913 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, green slate roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Torpenhow |
| Deanery | Derwent |
| Archdeaconry | West Cumberland |
| Diocese | Carlisle |
| Province | York |
St Michael's Church is a very old and important church located in a place called Torpenhow in Cumbria, England. It's an active Anglican church, meaning people still use it for services today. It belongs to the Church of England and is considered a Grade I listed building. This means it's a really special historical building that needs to be protected.
Contents
History of the Church
This church has a long history, starting way back in the early 1100s! Over the years, new parts were added in the 12th and 13th centuries. It also had some changes in the 1400s and 1600s. Later, in 1882 and 1913, the church was restored, which means it was repaired and updated to keep it in good condition.
Some people think that stones used to build the church might have come from an old Roman fort nearby called Old Carlisle. An architect who worked on the church in 1913 even thought he found signs of an even older Saxon building underneath!
What the Church Looks Like
Building Materials and Shape
St Michael's Church is built from sandstone, which is a type of rock. Its roof is made of green slate. The church has a main area called a nave with two side sections called aisles. There's also a north transept (a part that sticks out like an arm of a cross) and a south porch. The chancel is the part of the church where the altar is. At the west end, there's an open bellcote, which is a small structure holding the church bell.
The porch has a doorway that was once used but is now blocked up. The current door has a Tudor-style design. On the west wall, there's another blocked doorway with a two-light window from the 1400s above it.
Norman Features and Carvings
A lot of the church's design is in the Norman style, which was popular in England after the Norman Conquest. You can see this in the round-headed windows on the north side of the chancel. There are also similar windows on the south and east sides, but they are now blocked.
The south doorway is also Norman. Inside the church, the arcades (rows of arches) and the arch leading into the chancel are also Norman. The chancel arch has cool carvings! On one side, you can see figures that look like demons, and on the other side, there are carvings of people and animals.
In the south porch, there's an old medieval gravestone. Other similar gravestones were used as lintels (support beams) for the west window and to block up the west door. The south aisle has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall.
Inside the Church
The ceiling of the nave was given to the church in 1689. It's thought to have come from a big hall in London! This ceiling is painted with pictures of cupids and garlands (decorative wreaths). The north transept has an open timber roof from 1614. The panelled ceiling in the chancel was added later, in the 1800s or 1900s.
Fittings and Furniture
The font (where baptisms happen) has a carved Norman bowl sitting on a newer base. In the south wall, there's a special space that probably used to hold a medieval tomb effigy (a carved image of a person on a tomb). That effigy is now in the south porch.
In the east wall, you'll find an aumbry (a small cupboard for sacred items) and a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) with a sun design. There's another piscina nearby that might even have a Roman carving! The pulpit (where the preacher stands) is simple and in the Jacobean style. Some carvings in the church might even be connected to the Knights Templar, an old group of knights.
The choir stalls (seats for the choir) were added in 1882. Most of the other furniture in the church is from the 20th century. The beautiful stained glass windows include some made by a famous company called Clayton and Bell.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Cumbria
- Listed buildings in Blennerhasset and Torpenhow
