Troutbeck Church

Jesus church Troutbeck

The origin of this church is lost in the mists of antiquity but it was certainly in existence as long ago as 1506 and probably even earlier. It was a daughter church of St Martin's, Windermere, which is the oldest parish church in the neighbourhood. In 1562 Troutbeck church seems to have been rebuilt. In that year the Bishop of Chester, in whose diocese we were then, granted a licence for its consecration, and the deed refers to "the said Chappell, oratory or appointed for prayer called for the honour thereof by the name of "JESUS." So instead of having a patron saint (as most churches have,) Troutbeck has the unusual distinction of being called "Jesus Church".

Map and Gallery:

 Location Map

 In 1563 the Archbishop of Canterbury issued a further licence giving permission for christenings and burials to take place here, because of the distance from the parish church.
The sixteenth century church was approximately the same size as the present one and had a tower but hardly anything of that building remains to-day. In 1735 the churchwardens said that the old tower was "very ruinous adn like to fall" so the whole church was taken down and re-erected in 1736.

 It was a simple "mountain chapel". There was a tiny railed off communion table at the east end and seats around three sides of the chancel were allocated to the leading parishioners. A slender oak screen divided the chancel from the nave, where the pulpit, reading desk and the clerk's seat formed a "three-decker", and then plain oak benches extended to the back of the church.

 In 1861 a considerable restoration took place and the interior was made quite different by altering all the windows and removing many of the old furnishings. The pitch pine pews introduced at that time still survive but in 1958 the chancel was once more re-arranged, using old oak panelling from Calgarth Hall.

 The massive beams which at once impress every visitor are almost certainly the original beams of the sixteenth century church and must have been re-used at the re-building in 1736. Also remaining from the earlier church is the three light window in the tower, immediately above the west door. Here too, notice the carved date "1736". In the gallery, hanging from the west wall, are the Royal Arms of George II, painted on wood in 1737. It was the usual practice until quite recently for the Royal Arms to be displayed in churches.

 Underneath the gallery, near the font, is a rather primitive old chest with the customary three locks (for the parson and the two churchwardens) in which the church records were kept from generation to generation. the chest is no longer used for this purpose.

 In the tower is the church's old bell dated 1631 and appropriately inscribed - "JESUS BE OUR SPEED". It is now used as the clock bell. A set of six bells for chiming were presented in 1920 to commemorate two parishioners who gave their lives in the first world war 1914 - 1918. Their names with those of ten others are recorded on a bronze tablet near the small south door and nearby is another tablet in thanksgiving for the save return of those who served int eh second world war 1939 - 1945.

 The east window always attracts the attention of everyone entering the church. It is remarkably large for a comparatively small building and is very light and colourful. The figure of Our Lord is flanked by the Virgin Mary and St John in the central crucifixion scene and the other principle figures are St Peter on the north side and St Paul on the south. The glass was mostly designed by Sir Edward Burne Jones but some of the details were the work of Ford Maddox Brown and William Morris. It is a local tradition that these three "Pre-Raphaelite" artists came to Troutbeck on a fishing holiday more than a hundred years ago and this explains how there is such a beautiful window which includes four trout.

 Burne Jones designed one of the windows in the nave - "The Ascension" half way down the left side.

 The churchyard is notable for its yew trees, its three lych gates and the war memorial cross consisting of a single slab of Lakeland stone.

 Near the east end of the church is the grave of Parson Sewell, a well known character, who was incumbent of Troutbeck for 42 years until his death in 1869. It was he who in 1840 extended the Inn on the summit of Kirkstone Pass. Another worthy buried here was Margaret Longmire who died in 1868 aged 104. The Longmires of Longmire were one of the first families in the village.

 The parish extends from the mountains beyond Troutbeck Park down to the shores of Windermere and includes both sides of the valley, the township of Applethwaite on the east side and the township of Troutbeck on the west.

 Formerly Applethwaite was more populous than it is today so the church was built on its present site to be more or less central for all the inhabitants.

 The village of Troutbeck is nearly 1.5 miles long and has a large proportion of old houses. The ancient home of Elizabeth and George Browne, who died in 1804, was at Townend. They are buried at the eastern end of the churchyard along with three other members of their family. Townend is now owned by the National Trust.

 At Low Troutbeck, on the main road from Windermere to Ambleside, was St Andrews Mission Church where services were held once a month. When the church closed in 1997, the noticeboard displaying the times of services and the board for holding hymn numbers were brought to Jesus Church and ate located in the gallery.

 In 2000, a village millennium project was undertaken to work the kneelers that are displayed in the church.