The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain & Ireland
Cumbria (now)
Parish church
In 1860 Whellan wrote that the church of Nether Denton was ‘a small unpretending structure’. Between 1868 and 1870 the church was rebuilt on the same site. In 1941, during clearance work in the churchyard, a stone cross carved with a figure in full-length attire was found embedded in the soil. This is now set up on the W interior wall of the nave.
Parish church
St Leonard's Church reflects a number of changes over the past several centuries, but the E apse and W arch survive from the Norman period. The present church consists of a chancel with semi-circular end, a wider nave and a narthex, divided from the nave by an arch. There is also a S porch. William Thornton, prior of Wetheral and later abbot of St Mary’s, York, seems to have been responsible for certain changes to the church in the early 16thc, as his rebus appears on the S buttress of the chancel. In 1703, the church was in a poor condition. In the same report, Bishop Nicolson made mention of a supposed W tower, said to have been removed at some earlier but unknown date. Pennant, in 1772, wrote that the nave of the church had previously been extended at the west end and that at that time there was still ‘a good rounded arch, now filled up’. Some work was carried out on the church in 1807. The nave was rebuilt in 1869 and some stained glass windows put in the apse in the 1870s. A stone-built S porch and narthex were added in 1908. In 2017, the church was made redundant and put up for sale.
Parish church
Bromfield is located in NW Cumbria, in the ward of Allerdale below Dewent (i.e. Allerdale north of the river Derwent). The present church comprises a nave with N aisle, and a long rectangular chancel. Built off of the S side of the chancel is a chantry chapel, founded in 1395 (restored in 1925). The N transept/chapel was rebuilt in 1861 as a private family chapel. Built in front of the Romanesque S nave doorway is a later porch. Restorations on the church were undertaken in 1861-2, 1893-4 and 1926. The 12th-century church appears to have been aisleless with a shorter chancel than at present. The S doorway remains from this early church, as do sections of carved stones flanking the chancel arch, which was rebuilt in the late-14th century. Several medieval carved grave covers, a few of which are likely to be of 12th-century date, are kept inside the church. Two cross heads, which had been re-used in an outbuilding of the vicarage, are also documented, but the building no longer remains and the present location of the stones, if they still exist, has not been found.
Parish church
St James’ Church was built in the village of Ireby in 1845-6 to replace the old church, which is located about a mile away from the village centre. The baptismal font and a few other carved stones from the old church were taken to the new church.
Parish church
On the south exterior of the nave is a blocked, medieval doorway, said to be late-12th century. In 1717, it was declared that there was no maintenance for a curate at Clifton Chapel, or any ecclesiastical services performed there. Between 1736 and 1821, the burial ground had ceased to be used and the building was in a state of disrepair. The church was subsequently restored in 1858 and rebuilt in 1900.
Redundant parish church
The rectangular chancel is all that remains of the medieval church. It now stands isolated in a field. In 1845-6, when the new parish church of St James was built in the village of Ireby, about a mile away, the nave and N aisle of the old church were taken down. Consequently, the baptismal font and a few other carved stones were removed to the new church (see: Ireby, St James’ Church). Some reconstruction and repairs on the surviving structure were undertaken in 1880. The walls of the present structure bear evidence of significant restorations and changes. Ireby is divided into High Ireby and Low Ireby. The Old Church of Ireby is within the boundaries of Low Ireby, as is the newer Church of St James.
Parish church
The church was rebuilt in 1846-7/8. Drawings survive of both the chancel arch and the S doorway prior to the 19thc. building, which show that both were of 12c. date. Various carved stones from these were re-used in the doorway to the vestry at the NW corner of the church. Other fragments have been incorporated into the E interior wall of the vestry. An ornate baptismal font of possible late-12thc. date is located in the SW interior of the nave. Various other medieval stones are also preserved within the church. Outside, re-used in the churchyard wall near the gate leading to the rectory are a series of chevroned voussoirs and other carved stones.
Parish church
Gosforth is a village in Cumbria, situated between Whitehaven and Barrow-in-Furness. The church of St Mary has a long history and is well-known for its early standing cross. It has a complex post-medieval history. In 1654 a bell turret was added to a church consisting of a simple nave and chancel with walls of about eleven feet. At that time the church was thatched. In 1759 the south wall of the nave was rebuilt, and the pointed north doorway of the chancel walled up. However, in 1789 the church underwent considerable alterations, the walls heightened and a porch built off the western end. Subsequently, in 1858 the chancel was lengthened and a north transept built. At this time the north doorway of the chancel was re-discovered and opened up, revealing a number of re-used carved fragments. In 1879, the vestry was enlarged, but in 1896-9 the church was largely rebuilt. Some carved stonework from the 12th-century church survives, particularly the lower part of the chancel arch, and a blocked south doorway. There is also an incised stone with incised cross at the east end of the north nave aisle, as well as a section of impost or stringcourse decorated with rosettes in beaded circles. Another head of a cross found at St Mary’s is now in the museum in Whitehaven (See Whitehaven, Beacon Museum). Further stones have been re-used in the walling of a structure in the NE corner of the churchyard. This part of Cumberland became part of the diocese of Carlisle in 1856.
Parish church
The church of St Mary is built with a long nave, chancel and W tower. Much of the church was rebuilt in 1804, with aisle walls rebuilt in 1864-6. The E bay of the chancel, which extends out from the E wall, was built in 1903-4. The W tower appears to be the result of rebuilding in 1540. All that remains from the Romanesque period is the S nave doorway, which has been rebuilt from an arch whose original location is unknown.
Parish church
The church at Isel consists of a rectangular chancel and nave. There is a S porch and a W bell turret. The church building is primarily of Romanesque, with later medieval changes, such as the 15thc window in the S wall of the chancel. In 1878, the church was restored. Romanesque features include the chancel arch, S doorway and a fragment of roll moulding built into an interior wall of the porch.