Old Cumbria Gazetteer - St Mary, Ambleside

St Mary, Ambleside

St Mary's Church

Ambleside Church

locality:-

Ambleside

civil parish:-

Lakes (formerly Westmorland)

county:-

Cumbria

locality type:-

church

coordinates:-

NY37400436

1Km square:-

NY3704

10Km square:-

NY30

references:-

: 2005: Diocese of Carlisle, Directory 2004/5

MN photo:-

Design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, 1850.

BJT02.jpg The church is surrounded by trees!
(taken 17.8.2005)
photograph

BUO68.jpg (taken 19.5.2011)

evidence:-

old map:- OS County Series (Wmd 26 10)
placename:- St Mary's Church

source data:-

Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
"St Mary's Church (Per Curacy) / Grave Yard"

evidence:-

old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H

source data:-

Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.

GAR2NY30.jpg
notice two crosses, the old and new churches
item:- JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old text:- Martineau 1855

source data:-

Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.

goto source
Page 41:- "... near the centre of the valley is the new church,- more of a blemish than an adornment, unhappily, from its size and clumsiness, and the bad taste of its architecture. Though placed in a valley, it has a spire,- the appropriate form of churches in a level country; and the spire is of a different color (sic) from the rest of the building; and the east window is remarkably ugly. There have been various reductions of the beauty of the valley within twenty years or so; and this latest is the worst, because the most conspicuous. ..."

evidence:-

old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s

source data:-

Photograph, black and white, Ambleside, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.

click to enlarge
HB0189.jpg
stamped at rev:- "HERBERT BELL / Photographer / AMBLESIDE"
item:- Armitt Library : ALPS1
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s

source data:-

Photograph, black and white, St Mary's Church, Ambleside, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.

click to enlarge
HB0204.jpg
stamped at rev:- "HERBERT BELL / Photographer / AMBLESIDE"
item:- Armitt Library : ALPS24
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s

source data:-

Photograph, black and white, St Mary's Church and Rothay Road, Ambleside, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.

click to enlarge
HB0215.jpg
item:- Armitt Library : ALPS624
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old photograph:- Bell 1880s-1940s

source data:-

Photograph, black and white, St Mary's Church and a school, Ambleside, by Herbert Bell, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s.

click to enlarge
HB0220.jpg
item:- Armitt Library : ALPS724
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old map:- Nurse 1918

source data:-

Map, The Diocese of Carlisle, Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire North of the Sands, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Rev Euston J Nurse, published by Charles Thurnam and Sons, 11 English Street, Carlisle, Cumberland, 2nd edn 1939.

NUR1NY30.jpg
"AMBLESIDE"
item:- JandMN : 27
Image © see bottom of page

stained glass

evidence:-

database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:- Church of St Mary

source data:-

courtesy of English Heritage
"CHURCH OF ST MARY / / / LAKES / SOUTH LAKELAND / CUMBRIA / B / 450572 / NY3739604360"

source data:-

courtesy of English Heritage
"1850-54 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in Early Decorated style. Built of local coursed slate rubble with sandstone dressings. Large south-east square tower with stepped angle buttresses, Decorated windows, and prominent octagonal spire with aedile windows. A 5-light east window. Low north-east vestry. South porch up 6 steps. North and south aisles. North porch. Interior has wide proportions, and open timber roofs. Modern mural painting. Mural monument to Jane Harden, 1829. Marble and gold mosaic reredos."

evidence:-

old photograph:-

source data:-

Stereo photo, St Mary's Church, Ambleside, issued by R J Sproat, photographer, Ambleside, Westmorland, 1890s?

click to enlarge
PH0062.jpg
item:- Armitt Library : no id no 3
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old print:- Matthew 1866

source data:-

Print, engraving, Ambleside from Loughrigg Fell, Westmorland, drawn by R Howe, engraved by J Saddler, published by J Richardson, Highgate, Kendal, Westmorland, 1866.

click to enlarge
MW1E08.jpg
Tipped in opposite p.62 of The English Lakes, Peaks and Passes, from Kendal to Keswick, by George King Matthew.
printed at lower left, right, centre:- "R. Howe. / J. Saddler. / Published by J. Richardson, Kendal. / Ambleside from Lough-rigg Fell"
item:- Armitt Library : A1168.8
Image © see bottom of page

evidence:-

old print:- Garnett 1850s-60s F

source data:-

Print, uncoloured engraving, St Mary's Church and Schools, Ambleside, Westmorland, from a photo by J Garnett, engraved by Banks and Co, Edinburgh, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s?

click to enlarge
GAR722.jpg
Found with Views of the English Lakes.
printed at bottom:- "Banks & Co. Edinr. / ST. MARY'S CHURCH &SCHOOLS, AMBLESIDE. / From a Photo. by J. Garnett."
item:- JandMN : 165.22
Image © see bottom of page

ring of bells

incumbents:-

Bell, John ?	1585 -
Mayson, Thomas	1629 -
Turner, Henry	1647 -
Pearson, John	1669 -
Thwaites, Mr	1680 -
Wright, Richard	1682 -
Fleming, Roger	1686 -
Knott, Thomas	1694 -
Jackson, Robert ?
Harrison, Mr ?
Myles, Jonathan	1744 -
Knipe, Isaac	1753 -
Roberts, Christopher ?	1785 -
Wilson, John	1786 -
Knipe, John	1792 -
Dawes, William ?
Crakelt, Isaac	1795 -
Dawes, John	1811 -
Fell, Samuel Irton	1846 -
Marlen, Henry J	1860 -
Bell, Charles Dent	1861 -
Campbell, Colin	1872 -
Herbert, Charles	1875 -
Aston, John W	1878 -
Chase, Charles H	1882 -
Bayley, Charles H	1892 -
Lafone, H P	1896 -
Hawkesworth, John	1902 -

Rushbearing 1890s

Rushbearing 1900s

Rushbearing 1910s

hearsay:-

The organ was originally built by the Hope-Jones Organ C, London, 1898. It was controlled by electricity, a novelty when it was built, and demonstrated the knowledge of its builder who was a telephone engineer and organist from the Wirrel, Lancashire. Some of the wiring and electromagnets have been kept.

The organ was extended by Hill, Norman and Beard, 1965. It was restored by Victor L Saville and Co, Cumbria, 1999.

BSA49.jpg Organ, Hope-Jones Organ Co, London, 1898.
(taken 29.1.2010)
photograph

BUO67.jpg Organ:-
"The Hope-Jones Organ Co. Ltd. - London / 1898" (taken 29.1.2010)
photograph

BSB32.jpg Organ:-
"The Hope-Jones Organ Co. Ltd. - London / 1898" (taken 29.1.2010)
photograph

BUO66.jpg Mothers Union banner
(taken 19.5.2011)
photograph

BSA48.jpg (taken 29.1.2010)
photograph

CDZ76.jpg (taken 22.9.2015)
photograph

BSA51.jpg Grave of Charlotte Mason.
(taken 29.1.2010)
photograph

BSA52.jpg Grave of Charlotte Mason.
(taken 29.1.2010)

BJT03.jpg The mural of the Ambleside rushbearing, at the west end, was painted by Gordon Ransom, lecturer at the Royal College of Art, evacuated to Ambleside during World War II, 1944.
(taken 17.8.2005)
photograph

BSA45.jpg Rushbearing mural, detail.
(taken 29.1.2010)
photograph

BSA46.jpg Rushbearing mural, detail.
(taken 29.1.2010)
photograph

BSA47.jpg Rushbearing mural, detail.
(taken 29.1.2010)

The rushbearing ceremony still takes place here on the first or second Saturday in July. Once a year the old rushes, junk, from the Latin name juncus, were thrown out, and new rushes strewn on the church floor.

The ceremony used to take place at St Anne's Church on the Saturday nearest St Anne's Day, 26 July.

BML77.jpg Two cast iron 'grave stones' made by Haden of Warmintser, Wiltshire, 1872. On the left is:-
"IN MEMORY OF JOHN DYER DIED JAN 16 1872" On the back is:-
"HADEN [WARMINSTER]" (taken 3.8.2006)
photograph

BML78.jpg And on the right:-
"IN MEMORY OF SARAH DYER DIED JAN 17 1872" (taken 3.8.2006)

notes:-

The church was built 1850-54 to replace St Anne's Church which was too small to cope with a growing population. The architect was Sir George Gilbert Scott, and the design includes ideas from the Oxford Movement, the Catholic Revival. The position of the tower at a corner takes advantage of the underlying rocks, and its height was reduced from planned. Even so, the combined weight of tower and bells continues to cause problems.

The choir vestry added at the north east corner is by Paley and Austin, Lancaster, 1889.

: : church leaflet

personal

person:-

: Mason, Charlotte M

place:-

burial place

dedication

person:-

: St Mary the Virgin

place:-

Ambleside / Carlisle Diocese

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