Eskdale Church

The following text is taken from the booklet which can be bought in the church

For over 600 years this place has been dedicated to God and St. Catherine. Probable the first church here was built by the Cistercians, whose daily work, the tending of sheep, remains the chief livelihood of the dale. The splendor of the fells, and the beauty of the Esk, seem to make worship very natural in this quite place.

Map and Gallery:

 All the many authorities consulted in compiling this guide agree on one thing at least - "little is known of the history of St. Catherine's Church, Eskdale". Who built the chapel, and when, is unknown. there is, however, a strong tradition linking it with the loss of the white ship in 1120, on St. Catherine's day. Among those lost was a nephew of Ranulph le Meschines: he was Richard Earl of Chester, and through him the Meschines family succeeded to the earldom. William le Meschines founded the Priory of St Bees in 1125, and there were four dale chapels, beloning to the priory, founded about this time; Ennerdale, Loweswater, Wasdale, and Eskdale. William was a devoted Crusader: St. Catherine is the patron saint of soldiers: dedication to her is very rare in Cumbria.

 In 1445, the people of Eskdale petitioned the Pope, complaining of the hardships of the journey to St. Bees for baptism, burials and the sacraments. In the 10 mile journey, they said, there were broad waters, mountains and streams which were often in flood. The petition was referred to the Abbot of Calder Abbey to deal with as he thought fit by the Holy See. He was instructed, if the facts were true, to erect, i.e. promote, the chapel to a parish church, with burial ground, font, bell-tower and other parochial insignia, after due compensation for loss of revenue had been paid to the mother church at St. Bees.

 Hardly any other mention of St. Catherine's is made after this for some 250 years. The only evidence of its continued existence is an occasional mention in legal documents, mainly conveyances, exchanged by the great families of the district. The advowson, roughly speaking the right to appoint the priest, passed to the Stanleys of Dalegarth and Austhwaite on the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Calder Abbey was dissolved in 1536.

 Perhaps a considerable factor in this obscurity was the state of war in the Border country at this time. Calder Abbey was plundered by the Scots in 1138, and large tracts of the two countries were devastated in 1216. The whole region, in fact, became what we would call a "war area" for the next two and a half centuries. There was a general decline in safety and prosperity. The valleys seem to have continued their placid life, as they were off the main routes, and barely worth plundering anyway. but the ancient Furness saying: "Nowt o' good ivver comes round Black Combe", had a grimly true basis. Warning beacons were maintained at Ravenglass and on Hardknott until well into the fifteenth century, and Border Service, that is, readiness to come out armed and defend the land, was expected of yoemen and leaseholders for more than a hundred years after that, as far south as Preston.

 An interesting indication of the hardships of the times is the reduction of the Papel Tax on Calder Abbey, which dropped from £32 in 1291 to a mere £5 in 1318. the farmer-soldier of the Palestine kibbutz had a counterpart in the dalesmen Cumbrians of those troubled days. Our folk were too busy then to write the chronicles of their little church.

 The Restoration of 1881
A factual history really begins in 1881, when the church was "restored" - rebuilt almost - at a a cost of £750, which represented the incumbent's stipend for about ten years. There are vague references to an earlier restoration in the seventeenth century but no details are known, and the ceiling had been repaired in 1831 at a cost of £37. Though St. Catherine's did not suffer as grievously as Irton or Gosforth in the pious process, the ancient glass from the east window, representing St. Catherine and her wheel, was somehow lost, and the ancient carved woodwork, including a three decker pulpit and a board with Royal Arms disappeared. A chair, however, was made from the old oak by Jonathan Brockbank in 1887 and given to the Vicar. An eye-witness reports to Mr. Sykes, the vicar, who took a great interest in the dale and the church history in particular, and left valuable notebooks, "--- The massive old oak roof was off, walls stripped of whitewash revealing black letter texts (early 17th century) with capitals in yellow ochre and vermilion. Little pains were taken to preserve them". These texts figure in the churchwarden's accounts fifty years earlier, when they were re-painted for £2 14s. There are contemporary photographs of the old church extant, but alas, none of the interior seems to have survived.
At this time there were benched for the congregation, and the floor was strewn with bent, that is, rushes, until well into the 18th century.

 The Font
The Font, which is of decorated style, is of considerable interest. It spent some 60 years in the farmyard at Kirk House, the farm on the lane nearest to the church, being used, Dr Parker says rather obscurely in the Gosforth District, "for vile purposes". there is an entry, "font Ils" in the accounts for 1814. But the Rev W. S. Calverley, the curate, recognised and rescued it in 1876, and it was restored to its rightful place through the generosity of Mrs. Scott of Gosforth, in memory of her husband. It is octagonal and the decoration included St. Catherine's wheel and the ancient marigold design found on Roman pagan alters and on early Christian tombstones. There was once a hinged lid, so that the holy water could be protected. It is thought to date from about 1330, and if the dating is correct, is older than the church's right to hold baptisms, which was not granted before 1445. it must, therefore, have come from some other church. however, Professor Pevsner, in his buildings of England (1967) tentatively suggests that it could be mid 17th century.

 The Bells
There is a strong local tradition that the bell used to hang in a great oak tree on Ben Hill, the rise by the last gate on the lane to the church.
We are most fortunate in having experts' opinion on the present three bells, two in the bell-tower and one on a window sill in the church. We acknowledge most gratefully our indebtedness to the paper on "The Church Bells of Eskdale", read to the Cumberland and Westmorland Archaeological Society By Mr B. L. thompson at Kendal in 1957, from which we quote.

 Bell Number One:
The treble 15" diameter. Miss Fair, the well-known local antiquarian, interpreted the inscription as "SANCTA CATERINA BEATA" - Blessed St. Catherine - and was confident that it was one of the original bells resulting from the petition of 1445. The actual order of the letters is jumbled. She suggested that the bell was cast by a journeyman-bell-founder who was not expert enough to manage the inscription. Dr Parker in "The Gosforth District" compared it to two bells at Waberthwaite church. Mr Paul Taylor, of the Loughborough firm which undertook the re-casting of the bells in 1955, suggested that though the lettering is 15th century, this could have been copied onto a bell made at a later date. This ancient bell was found to be beyond repair, and it was decided that if it was re-cast, it would lose its historical value. It stands therefore, on a window ledge inside the church, after perhaps 500 years of service.
The new Treble bell was given by Lord Rea of Gatehouse in memory of his son, and was hung in 1956. It is inscribed: JOHN TAYLOR & CO. FOUNDERS, GLORIAM DEI CANO. MCMLV. IN MEMORIAM PIERS PEA.

 Bell Number Two:
The Tenor Bell is 18" in diameter. It was re-cast in 1955 but the former black-letter inscription has been reproduced: "ANIMA MEA REQUIESCE IN PACE 1687. Taylor Loughborough. Re-cast 1955". The bell-founder's stamp, a bell betwen the letters W and S, was assumed by Dr Parker to be that of William Seller of York, who flourished between 1662 and 1687. Miss Fair, however, suggested it might be the mark of William Scott of Wigton, who was founding between 1673 and 1703, and Mr. Taylor supports this view. their is also, inexplicably, "T. S. 1287" cut into the bell when cold. It has been suggested that this should read "1687". Mr. Taylor thinks it is a transposition for 1827 as he judged the fittings to be about a hundred years old.
(transcriptions of the C. W. A. & A Society. Vil Lvii., p.97).

 The East Window
The East Window, like the font is described as Decorated Style. It is generally accepted as dating from the 14th century, though the glass is of recent date. It will be noticed that the window was originally designed with a pointed arch, which has perished.

 Church Music
The role of hymn-singing was given by a pitch pipe, bought by the church in 1832 and said to be one of the finest examples in the Diocese. This had been restored to the church in 1948 by the Wilson family of Santon Bridge, whose ancestor had been for forty years the Parish Clerk and landlord of the King of Prussia Inn (now the King George IV). Sadly, this pitch pipe with its display case was stolen from the window ledge on the north side of the church on 23 December 1996 - a reminder of the negative side of our policy of keeping the church open at all times as our many visitors wish.
An "Organ" features frequently in the accounts of the early 19th century, and these are believed to refer to a barrel organ. Breakdowns and repairs seem to have been all too common on the days before the pitch pipe was acquired.
The present day organ is an electric one of Italian manufacture, with a swell pedal and a range of traditional stops.

 The Poor Stock
The Board on the wall behind the church door records early benefactions to the local poor. this Poor Stock was lent to various parishioners from time to time, in what seem trivial amounts today. For example, in 1720 John Porter borrowed £1 10s. and Nicholas Hartley £2 10s. The usual rate of interest was about 5% and the contract was drawn between the borrower and the church wardens. in 1724 "Thomas Vickers of Knott End, Birkby, and John Wasdell, yeoman, doe promise to pay Edward Tyson of Church House and John Dickenson of Harmet Hows, churchwardens for the time being, £11 with interest of 10d. a pound, being part of the poor stock belonging to the Chappelary of Eskdale. John Vickers his mark. John Wasdell".

 The Registers and Account Books
The earliest entry in the registers is either 1621 or 1626. The first pages are in a poor state. they have now been expertly treated to preserve them.
The Churchwardens Accounts begin in 1699, and are surprisingly legible.
These extracts may be of interest :-
1705 one days work 1s. 2d.
1707 seven days work 3s. 6d.
1708 for getting a leading bent (rushes for the church floor) 2s. 5d.
1718 two journeys to Whitehaven 2s. 0d.
1718 received for burial in quire 3s. 4d.
1722 two quarts of wine 3s. 0d.
1723 three items washing surplice 0s. 6d.
1723 in this year there are also three entries "for bread and wine", which suggests that there were only three celebrations a year, and that the surplice was washed for Communion Sundays.
1746 a spaid shaft 0s. 6d.
forms mended 1s. 0d.
1748 swearing at Ravenglass 1s. 0d.
1750 new bible £1 12s. 0d. (a days work had risen to 8d).
1773 two days work 2s. 0d.
1781 a pewter plate 0s. 11d.
1786 three days work 4s. 6d.
1797 printing and lettering board stock (poor stock) 1s. 6d.
1807 three days work 6s. 0d.
1822 painting the church £3 15s. 0d.
1831 new alter table £1 10s. 9d.
1847 new Bible £3 0s. 0d.
The funds to maintain the church and pay the vicar's stipend were raised by Seat Rent, which were fixed for all households in the parish according to size or rent. The total was about 80 seats, and the figure remains constant for many, many years. The charge was 2s. "per room" in 1839. in 1841 Eskdale had 341 inhabitants.

The Churchyard and Monuments Until 1901, this was the burial ground for Wasdale as well as Eskdale, The coffins being brought either on horseback or on a light cart over the Burnmoor track, which was maintained fit for wheeled traffic until well into the 20th century. burials under the floor of the floor of the church were not uncommon, the charges being 2s. in the nave, and 3s.4d. in the "quire". Among the tombstones of note are those of the legendary Huntsman of the Eskdale and Ennerdale pack: Tommy Dobson and Willy Porter. The Hird monument commemorates members of the famous Ulverston clock-making family who had roots in the dale in the early 19th century. The poignant memorial to the Benson family, near the church porch, records some of the victims of the epidemic of the 1860's. It is said to have been scarlet fever that claimed so many. The sandstone cross on the gable end of the church can be recognised from photographs as surviving from the old church before the 1881 restoration.

A fair as held until about the middle of the 19th century in the field to the north of the church on November 25th St. Catherine's day, for the sale of hides, wool, yarn, and other local products. It was called variously Catty Fair or Dogskin Fair. The goods were displayed on the walls of the lane. 

St. Catherine's Well About a quarter of a mile east of the church, above the trod to Doctor's bridge on a small plateau, is the site of the holy well. When it was excavated under Miss Fair's guidance in 1925, a clay-lined basin was uncovered, ringed by big boulders, and with a flight of stone steps down to the water. There were also traces of oak timbering. Water from this spring was used for baptism until fairly recently. There is a vague local tradition that this was the site of the ancient church, but is has not yet been fully investigated.

Vicars (perpetual Curates) of Eskdale 1578 William Singleton de Beckfoot There was no preaching minister (Lambeth Papers) 1658 John Parker (buried) 1660 Robert Rawlinson 1672 Thomas Parker (formerly of Haile) 1676 William Wilson 1708 Thomas Parker 1716 William Rumney 1728 Thomas Parker 1747 George Steeling (Ref. Churchwardens Accounts). 1770 Aaron Marshall 1814 / 15 Thomas Hutchinson 1816 Robert Powley Sequestration to 1872 1872 / 7 H. N. Creany 1885 R.H Snape 1900 W.G Sykes 1940 T.W. Fair 1911 J. banks 1825 J.W Hall 1928 F.K Berry 1936 G.L Hall 1946 J Ford 1950 J.M Pedder 1975 Richmond H. Gurney 1982 Rev. Michael R. Smith 1987 Rev. Peter G Ashby assisted from 1988 by Rev'd Ian Hall (NSM) 1994 Rev. Malcolm Stonestreet