Church Heritage Record 607044

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Croglin: St John The Baptist

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Croglin: St John The Baptist
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Closed Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

607044
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Carlisle
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Carlisle
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Renwick

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is a Grade II Listed Building
View more information about this Listed Building on the National Heritage List for England web site
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

The church is not in a Conservation Area

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

Victorian/Pre-WWI

Exterior Image

Exterior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist
Caption:

603242 

Exterior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist
Description:

It seems to be the wrong photograph. Provided coordinates come up with another church on geograph.org.uk

Photograph of the outside of the church as seen from the north east.
Year / Date:

2011, April 06

October 2009
Copyright:

Keltek Trust

Archbishops' Council
Originator:

Keltek Trust

Joseph Elders

Summary Description

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
A small Victorian church of local red stone in the Romanesque style, set within a rural village in the picturesque Eden valley to the south-east of Carlisle, flanked by the Pennines to the east and within the North Pennines Area Of Natural Beauty (AONB). The present church was built in 1878 at a cost of £900, and is said to have been built just north of the site of its Medieval predecessor, demolished at this time. However, the steep slope of the fell really does not allow for this, and the church must be pretty much in the same place. The building has a solid dignity rather than flair. The gabled double belcote at the west end rises from the plinth and gives some vertical emphasis, as does the hillside location.

Visiting and Facilities

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The church is closed for worship.
Date closed for worship:
Work in progress - can you help?
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

Work in progress - can you help?

Sources and Further Information

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Joseph Elders (October 2009) Exterior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Exterior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist
Joseph Elders (October 2009) Interior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Interior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist
James Miles (2018) Closed Churches [Digital Archive/Data]
CWGC (2016) Commonwealth War Graves Commission CWGC Unique File Reference Number: 3397 [Bibliography/Data]
Number of War Graves: 1
Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 2 Bells [Archive/Index]
2 Bells

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: NY 574 472

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

County:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

Cumbria County

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

A small Victorian church of local red stone in the Romanesque style, set within a rural village in the picturesque Eden valley to the south-east of Carlisle, flanked by the Pennines to the east and within the North Pennines Area Of Natural Beauty. Croglin Water, a tributary of the Eden, runs to the south of the village under a handsome stone bridge. The cottages are mostly of stone and attractive. A Grade II* listed 15th/16th century Rectory House with truncated Peel Tower stands nearly opposite the church across a dead-end lane, which branches east off the Penrith to Carlisle Road (B6413) skirting the village to the west. The lane ends at a disused quarry. There are some interesting historic barns here and around the village.

The church has some landscape value within the village, standing on a platform cut into the northern part of the small churchyard, which slopes with the fell side steeply from north to south to the road. It is laid to grass grazed by sheep, the churchyard and tarmac path to the porch is accordingly liberally dunged.  The drystone churchyard wall may be of some antiquity (although doubtless often rebuilt), relating to the earlier church. The entrance in the south wall to the road is an iron gate with overthrow between stone posts with pyramid caps. Houses form part of the east and west boundaries, there is a yew tree and a cherry tree by the walls. No parking spaces.

South of the church is an eroded Medieval grave slab said to mark the tomb of Robert de Chauncy, Bishop of Carlisle who died in 1278, but this is almost certainly apocryphal, as are the theories regarding the eroded female effigy adjacent. Both may be 13th or early 14th-century in date and were doubtless ejected from the old church at some point. They have heavy lichen cover, as does the church. A large 1914-18 War Memorial Cross in an Anglo-Saxon style with interlace panels stands near the porch. There are grave markers from the late 18th century, mostly on the south side, with one chest tomb near the south wall. The churchyard is still used for burial, the most recent ones on the north side protected from the sheep with wire cages.

Church Plan

Work in progress - can you help?

Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

4-bay nave with south porch, narrower 3-bay chancel with north vestry.

Dimensions

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Nave 9m (30ft) long, 6m (19ft) wide.

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

141 m2

Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

There have been several finds from the Bronze Age in the immediate vicinity of the churchyard, including a spear mould found at the above mentioned quarry. The site is of considerable archaeological potential and the Historic Environment Record should be consulted if any disturbance is contemplated.

The list of Rectors starts in 1294. The parish web site states that the old church “had some Norman stonework in it”.  The Magna Britannia records “in Croglin churchyard a stone cross raised on steps, on one side of which is a braid, on the other a cross-florée”. There is no sign of this today if it ever existed, perhaps the War Memorial replaced it.  The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) states that the church was a simple stone structure dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

Croglin was originally a part of the Barony of Gilsland.  Its lordship passed through the de Vallibus family and was then held by the de Hastings family from 1214 (after Robert de Vallibus lost his lands for treason) to 1330. The village then came to the Whartons of Westmorland who held it into the 18th century.  The village was reputedly burned by the Scots in May 1346, the year of the Scottish incursion and siege of Carlisle after Crecy, and their subsequent defeat at Neville’s Cross.

The present church was built in 1878 at a cost of £900, and is said to have been built just north of the site of its Medieval predecessor, demolished at this time. However, the steep slope of the fell really does not allow for this, and the church must be pretty much in the same place.  There are photographs of the old church just inside the porch, showing a plain 2-cell building with west turret, with box pews inside. The architect of the new church was J Howison of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Edinburgh.  There seems to have been a refit at the beginning of the 20th century.

Croglin Water is mentioned in an ode by Wordsworth and the “Beast of Croglin Grange”, a vampire, features in Augustus Hare’s The Story of My Life (1896-1900).  Hare has the monster residing in a vault in the church. The story is still popular and has recently been turned into a children’s book.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

The building has a solid dignity. The gabled double belcote at the west end rises from the plinth and gives some vertical emphasis, as does the hillside location. The west wall underneath has two lancets, a clock face and an inscription relating to the rebuild. There are iron wheel cross finials to each gable.

The nave and chancel fenestration is of single round-headed shafted windows in Neo-Norman style with zigzag arches, one to each bay. The gabled porch has an external entrance like the windows. The gabled vestry projects north, with a window as above in the north wall and a round-headed door in the west, a simple stack rises from the nave roof adjacent.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Work in progress - can you help?

Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
CHANCEL (19th century)
NAVE (19th century)
PORCH (19th century)
VESTRY (19th century)

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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Collapse Building MaterialsBuilding Materials
IRON (19th century)
SANDSTONE (19th century)
SLATE (19th century)

Interior Image

Interior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist
Caption:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Interior image of 607044 Croglin St John the Baptist
Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Photograph of the inside of the church, looking east.
Year / Date:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
October 2009
Copyright:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Archbishops' Council
Originator:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Joseph Elders

Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The interior is whitewashed, fully pewed with plain light-stained softwood benches and choir stalls and has a standard set of early 20th-century fittings. Open arch-braced timber roof with a collar, and quarry tile floors mostly under carpet. The heating pipes run above ground. There is an arches inset in the west wall. The neo-Norman chancel arch has zigzag and plain imposts, colonettes underneath.

There are large coloured prints by the Fitzroy Picture Society hung on the chancel walls, of high quality and interest, and attractive stained glass in the east window. Older items from the old church include a wooden muniment chest and a small carved graveslab inscribed Hisabella, the latter possibly 13th century or earlier. 

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
ALTAR (20th century)
BELL (1 of 2)
BELL (2 of 2)
FONT (COMPONENT) (20th century)
LECTERN (20th century)
ORGAN (COMPONENT) (20th century)
PULPIT (20th century)
STAINED GLASS (WINDOW) (20th century)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

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Collapse Portable Furnishings and ArtworksPortable Furnishings and Artworks
BOOK (17th century)

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: NY 574 472

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

Work in progress - can you help?

Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

The church has no evidence of bats

Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The churchyard has war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

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There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Designation TypeNameGrade  
Listed Building Croglin War Memorial II View more

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Closed Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

Work in progress - can you help?

Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

Moderate
Setting Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The site is of considerable archaeological potential.
Fabric Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Low
Fabric Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
A small neo-Romanesque Victorian church, of local architectural significance.
Interior Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Low
Interior Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The fittings and furnishings are of no more than local significance, with the exception of some items.
Community Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Low
Community Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Another church within a mile: Cumrew, St Mary.

Church Renewables

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Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Bio Mass:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Air Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Wind Turbine:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
EV Car Charging:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown

Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

CategoryTotal species recorded to date
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES RECORDED 0
Total number of animal species 0
Total number of plant species 0
Total number of mammal species 0
Total number of birds 0
Total number of amphibian and reptile species 0
Total number of invertebrate species 0
Total number of fungi species 0
Total number of mosses and liverworts (bryophytes) 0
Total number of ferns 0
Total number of flowering plants 0
Total number of Gymnosperm and Ginkgo 0

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Closed Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Closed Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Closed Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Closed Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionThu 01 Sep 2022 14:09:24
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Significance descriptionTue 02 May 2017 14:41:48
Anna CampenAdded object typeTue 02 May 2017 14:39:08
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeTue 02 May 2017 14:38:35
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeTue 02 May 2017 14:37:43
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeTue 02 May 2017 14:36:53
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionTue 02 May 2017 14:36:31
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeTue 02 May 2017 14:35:11
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeTue 02 May 2017 14:34:43
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeTue 02 May 2017 14:34:26
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