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Page 141:-
arms, as they are called, in this North window: Indeed
traditions have usually some foundation in truth; and this
has, besides, such an air of probability, that I am tempted
almost to believe it. When this church wanted to be rebuilt,
together with the chapels of St Mary Holm, Ambleside,
Troutbeck, and Applethwaite, which were all destroyed, or
rendered unfit for divine worship, the parish was extremely
poor; the parishioners, at a meeting, agreed that one church
should serve the whole. The next question was, where it
should stand? The inhabitants of Under-Mill-Beck were
for having it at Bowness; the rest thought that as
Troutbeck bridge was about the centre of the parish, it
should be built there. Several meetings in consequence were
held, and many disputes and quarrels arose: at last a
carrier proposed, that whoever would make the largest
donation towards the building, should chuse the situation of
the church. An offer so reasonable could hardly be refused,
and many gifts were immediately named: the carrier, (who had
acquired a fortune by his business) heard them all, and at
last declared, that he would cover the church with Lead.
This offer, which all the rest were either unable or
unwilling to outdo, at once decided the affair: the carrier
chose the situation, and his, (or more properly his
implements) were painted on the North window of the church.
Tradition adds, that this man obtained the name of Bellman,
from the bells worn by the fore-horse, which he first
introduced here: the name of Bellman yet remaining in this
place, and the singularity of this church being covered with
lead, when all the rest hereabouts are covered with the
beautiful white slate, give additional probability to this
story.
This church is dedicated to St Martin; the patronage is in
Sir Michael le Fleming, Baronet of Rydale-Hall, and is
within the bishoprick of Chester. There is also a
school-house for the inhabitants of Under-Mill-Beck
and Applethwaite, with about seventeen pounds a year
salary. There are, besides, several donations to the poor to
a considerable amount, distributed in money, meal, and
bread. In the year 1742, Edward Bellman, Thomas Collinson,
and Robert Dixon, gave twenty-two dozen of loaves to the
poor of this parish yearly, to be distributed equally every
Sunday at the church, immediately after divine service, by
the church-wardens.
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It would be doing injustice to the memory of Mr Young and
this Lake not to give his description of a view, (though it
may be rather partial,) from the mountain behind this
village: he says, "Thus having viewed the most pleasing
objects from these points, let me next conduct you to a
spot, where, at one glance, you command them all in fresh
situations, and all assuming a new appearance. For this
purpose, you return to the village, and taking the by-road
to the turnpike, mount the hill without turning your head,
till you almost gain the top, when you will be struck with
astonishment at the prospect spread at your feet, which if
not the most superlative view that Nature can exhibit, she
is more fertile in beauties than the reach of my imagination
will allow me to conceive. It would be mere vanity to
attempt to describe a scene which beggars all description;
but that you may have some faint idea of the outlines of
this wonderful picture, I will just give you the particulars
of which it consists.
"The point at which you stand is the side of a large ridge
of hills, that form the eastern boundary of the Lake, and
the situation high enough to look down upon all the objects;
a circumstance of great importance, which painting cannot
imitate. In landscapes you are either on a level with the
objects, or look up to them; the painter gives the declivity
at your feet, which lessens the objects as much in the
perpendicular line as in the horizontal one. You look down
upon a noble winding valley of about twelve miles long,
every where inclosed with grounds, which rise in a very bold
and various manner; in some places bulging into mountains,
abrupt, wild, and uncultivated; in others breaking into
rocks, craggy, pointed, and irregular; here rising into
hills, covered with the noblest woods, preventing a gloomy
brownness of shade, almost from the clouds to the reflection
of the trees in the lim-
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