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St Constantine's Cells, Wetheral
St Constantine's Cells
Cells of St Constantine
Wetheral Safeguards
locality:-   Wetheral Woods
civil parish:-   Wetheral (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   cave
coordinates:-   NY46675354 (?) 
1Km square:-   NY4653
10Km square:-   NY45

photograph
BPG95.jpg  The present entrance to the caves.
(taken 30.5.2008)  
photograph
BPG96.jpg (taken 30.5.2008)  
The photos were taken hand held with flash, which kills contrast, inscriptions disappear; we were not expecting the inscriptions. If we can we'll go back with tripod and/or offset flash.
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 24 10) 
placename:-  St Constantine's Cells
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.
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Simpson 1746
item:-  cave; hermit's cave
source data:-   Atlas, three volumes of maps and descriptive text published as 'The Agreeable Historian, or the Compleat English Traveller ...', by Samuel Simpson, 1746.
image SMP4P191, button  goto source
"... On the other Side of the River [from Corby Castle], over-against the House, are the remains of an old castle, which is called Weatherel-Tower, under which is an Hermit's Cave. ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Gents Mag
source data:-   Magazine, The Gentleman's Magazine or Monthly Intelligencer or Historical Chronicle, published by Edward Cave under the pseudonym Sylvanus Urban, and by other publishers, London, monthly from 1731 to 1922.
image G7610501, button  goto source
Gentleman's Magazine 1761 p.501  "..."
"Corby is remarkable for the pleasantness of its situation; and, opposite to it, on the other side of the Eden, Wetherall, where are some rooms dug out of the solid rock, in a place very difficult of ascent, supposed to have been the habitation of some hermit; or, perhaps, places of security for the Monks †to retire to in time of danger. ..."
" †From the neighbouring monastery."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Hearne and Byrne 1786
source data:-   Book, Antiquities of Great Britain, prints from drawings by Thomas Hearne, engraved by William Byrne, published by Hearne and Byrne, London, 1786; published 1786-1807.
"Near this Priory [Wetheral] are three remarkable Cells cut in the solid stone, communicating with each other by means of a gallery in front; these excavations are about midway, from the bottom to the summit of the rocks, rising 300 feet perpendicular above the river Eden, and are only accessible by means of ladders. They are said to have been made as a place of security for the Monks of this Priory, who were frequently obliged to retreat thither in times of danger, particularly during the incursions of the Scots."
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P174, button  goto source
Page 174:-  "..."
"... Wetheral ... where are certain cells cut out of a rock for places of retreat. ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) 
placename:-  Constantine's Cells
placename:-  Safeguard, The
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P191, button  goto source
Page 191:-  "..."
"... in the midst of a vast precipice environed with woods are cut with much labour in the live rock three deep unroofed cells, divided by partitions of the same four feet thick, the front and entrance of fine cut stone; in front three windows and a fire-place. The cells, intended for security or retirement, are each 12 feet 8 inches deep, and about 9 feet 6 inches wide; below, before them, from the door to the end is a kind of gallery, 23 feet and an half long, bounded by the front, which overhangs the river Eden, above whose level they are 40 feet. There are marks of bolts and bars"
image CAM2P192, button  goto source
Page 192:-  "to the windows, and of doors. The wall that forms the gallery founded on a ledge of rocks eight feet below the floor of the cells is ruined a little above their top, and was once joined to them by a roof. They are called Constantine's cells, the priory being dedicated to him, but more commonly the Safeguard, being probably intended as such for the neighbouring monks against the Scots, the door being approachable only by a ladder, and the whole only by a perpendicular ascent of seven feet from a long narrow path. ..."
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Ford 1839 (3rd edn 1843) 
placename:-  Cells of St Constantine
placename:-  Wetheral Safeguards
source data:-   Guide book, A Description of Scenery in the Lake District, by Rev William Ford, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, by W Edwards, 12 Ave Maria Lane, Charles Tilt, Fleet Street, William Smith, 113 Fleet Street, London, by Currie and Bowman, Newcastle, by Bancks and Co, Manchester, by Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, and by Sinclair, Dumfries, 1839.
image FD01P120, button  goto source
Page 120:-  "... the cells of St. Constantine, excavated in the front of the precipice, forty feet above the raving flood below, and overhung by steep towering crags, overshadowed with trees, amid which the gnarled branches and roots of aged oaks are seen fantastically twisting forward. ..."
image FD01P122, button  goto source
Page 122:-  "..."
"WETHERAL SAFEGUARDS."
"The Caves of St. Constantine, or Wetheral Safeguards, may be explored. They are three in number, deeply excavated, and protected by a breastwork of masonry, in which is a fire-place and three small lights. There is now a wooden gallery, by which they are rendered accessible: formerly they were approached by a dangerous path from the bottom, and gained by a ladder, which was afterwards drawn up. Tradition says they were originally the retreat of an ascetic of the name of Constantine; but it is far more probable that they were formed by the monks of the priory, as places of safety in which to deposit their plate, vestments, and relics. Since then, they have undoubtedly been devoted to the same purposes by the inhabitants, as safeguards in the disturbed state of the Borders."
"Further on is a summer-house, generally called the Folly, which presents a view of unrivalled magnificence. Far below, the Eden foams and thunders over its rocky channel, which here pursues a serpentine course; on either hand steep banks arise, hidden beneath the dense foliage of the Corby"
image FD01P123, button  goto source
Page 123:-  "and Wetheral woods. ..."
evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Safe Guards
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"SAFE GUARDS / / / WETHERAL / CARLISLE / CUMBRIA / I / 77778 / NY4668053538"
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"Cave dwellings. Early medieval, known to have been in use in the C14, probably for the Priory of Wetheral, but popularly considered to have been used by St Constantine when a hermit. 3 chambers cut high in the cliff face above the River Eden. Masonry front wall with 3 small windows and fireplace. Access would have originally been by ladder, but now has a stone cut path. Used by the Priory of Wetheral as a place of refuge during border raids and hence the name Safe Guards, (25 metres south of the caves is a Roman inscription, referring to the 20 legion Valeria Victrix, which was mentioned in the former listing)."
evidence:-   old print:- 
placename:-  St Constantine's Cells
item:-  fishing
source data:-   Print, uncoloured engraving, St Constantine's Cells, Wetheral, Cumberland, from a painting by L Clennell, engraved by J Greig, published by Longman and Co, Paternoster Row, London, 1816.
image  click to enlarge
PR0528.jpg
Included in the Border Antiquities of England and Scotland. 
printed at bottom:-  "Engraved by J. Greig, from a Painting by L. Clennell, for the Border Antiquities of England and Scotland. / St. Constantine's Cells, / (near Corby Castle.) / Cumberland. / London: Published Jan. 1. 1816, for the Proprietors, by Longman &Co. Paternoster Row."
item:-  Dove Cottage : 2008.107.477
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
placename:-  Wetherel Cells
source data:-   Print, Plan of Wetherel Cells, St Constantine's Cells, Wetheral, by Moses Griffith, engraved by Peter Mazell, about 1788?
image  click to enlarge
PR1178.jpg
inscribed at bottom centre on print, beneath lower images:-  "PLAN OF WETHEREL CELLS."
signed &inscribed at bottom left on print:-  "Griffiths del."
signed at bottom right on print:-  "P Mazell sculp"
item:-  Tullie House Museum : 1976.169.2.7.2
Image © Tullie House Museum
evidence:-   old print:- 
placename:-  Wetherel Cells
source data:-   Print, Wetherel Cells, St Constantine's Cells, Wetheral, Cumberland, by Moses Griffith, engraved by Peter Mazell, about 1788?
image  click to enlarge
PR1175.jpg
Summertime; view of the 'cells' from the far bank of the river. 
inscribed at lower left, right, centre:-  "Moses Griffiths del. / P Mazell sculp / WETHEREL CELLS."
item:-  Tullie House Museum : 1976.169.2.3.2
Image © Tullie House Museum

photograph
BPH04.jpg  The easily inscribed sandstone is covered with names or initials and dates. You either deplore them all or accept them all; it's been going on for centuries. Tatty writing in chalk is a bit infra dig.
(taken 30.5.2008)  
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BPH05.jpg (taken 30.5.2008)  
photograph
BPG97.jpg "SCOTT / 1871" (taken 30.5.2008)  
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BPG94.jpg "R G / 1863" (taken 30.5.2008)  
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BPG92.jpg  1859, in Yiddish?
(taken 30.5.2008)  
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BPH03.jpg  The inscription, 1859, is upsidedown (has the stone been reset?) It looks like the Devenagara script used for Maharathi etc.
(taken 30.5.2008)  
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BPG93.jpg "1802" and other stuff.
(taken 30.5.2008)  
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BPH02.jpg "[ ] 1724" (taken 30.5.2008)  
photograph
BPH01.jpg "[ ] 1712" (taken 30.5.2008)  
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BPG98.jpg  A sort of coat of arms.
(taken 30.5.2008)  
photograph
BPG99.jpg "R R 1653" Whilst I could go and write 1653 today, the style of numbers and letters looks fairly convincing for the 17th century. The earliest inscription we found.
(taken 30.5.2008)  
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