St John's is always open, but over the weekend of September 12th and 13th there's the chance to hear local enthusiasts explain some of its history. On both days there will be short talks at 11.00 and 2.30. To keep numbers manageable we'd encourage you to book, but it's unlikely we will be too busy to fit you in. Usual social distancing measures will be in place. If you can't make a talk, then come anyway as there will be volunteers who can answer most questions. Check out the Heritage Open Day website for more details, heritageopendays.org.uk We look forward to seeing you.
St John's bells are ringing out now services are back. although with a careful risk assessment, Thank you Nigel! The first written reference to the date of the two bells is from 1552, but the inscriptions suggest they are older. They were rehung when the bell turret was rebuilt in 1796. The inscriptions are interesting - one is inscribed SANCTUS JACOBUS. DOMINUS THOMAS WALKER. The church, of course is "St John", and we have no record of a name change. Thomas Walker was the rector from 1439 until at least 1473 and may have been the donor. A really fascinating alternative explanation comes from the inscription on the second bell HENRICUS SEXTUS REX. We know that King Henry VI took refuge at nearby Muncaster Castle (possibly in 1461) and gave them the "Luck of Muncaster" as thanks for the help he was given. The story is that he is connected to the bells in some way, perhaps gifting them to the church himself.We may never know, but students from Oxford University are researching the Luck of Muncaster story, and, who knows. we may find out more about the circumstances around Henry's flight.
We may be nearer to finding out the age of our church. The local history group have been given grant funding for carbon dating of the roof timbers, and dendrochronology if the carbon dating doesn't give results. Thanks to the group for putting the application together and to CWAAS for awarding the grant.
As part of our historic research into St John's , we have got interested in the roof space! If you've visited you'll know that one of the church's quirks is that it has a ceiling (c1807). Above that (through a rather small opening) is a hotchpotch of timbers, but we are hoping they tell a story. It appears that the roof is of two different dates, with the east end appearing earlier than the west. Where the timbers change there are signs that something has once been fixed, and it's been suggested that it could have been an external bell at the west end of an older chapel. The local history group have put in for a grant from Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society to fund expert advice and surveys. It would be great to have a clearer understanding of the story of the existing building.
