Church Heritage Record 646454

Rectangular on plan. The sanctuary is located to the geographical northeast; liturgical directions will be used throughout this report. Nave with two steps up to sanctuary; external steps up to entrance lobby, with vestry to south and kitchen, WC and boiler room to north. Oil store tank to the north immediately before the entrance doors.

No archaeological finds are associated with the site. Earthworks in East Cowton are believed to be traces of the medieval town but none are known around the site of St Luke’s. A Knights Templar preceptory was in the area, but is believed to have been located around East Cowton. The current building is reported to have replaced a ‘tin tabernacle’; even if remains of this are to be found, they will be of limited significance. No archaeological finds are connected with the site and the lack of graveyard means archaeological implications are not expected to be high.

At the time of the Domesday Book, three contiguous hamlets existed, which came to be known as North, South and East Cowton. Later, two further settlements, called Altow Cowton and Temple Cowton, were established between the former three. The name of the latter settlement is believed to indicate the presence of a Knights Templar preceptory in the area.

In the medieval period, two churches dedicated to St Mary were erected in the area – at East Cowton and South Cowton. Cowton Castle was also built in the late medieval period, around 1470, by Sir Richard Conyers.

In 1894, a ‘mission room’ was erected on the site of the current St Luke’s in North Cowton. In 1909-10, All Saints was built in East Cowton, rendering the medieval St Mary’s there redundant. St Mary’s subsequently fell into disuse and ruin and was demolished in the 1960s. A stone arch from St Mary’s was incorporated into the new parish centre at North Cowton. No trace remains of St Mary’s above ground, but the graveyard associated with it remains open today.

A pastoral centre, which was later to become St Luke’s, was built in 1968, replacing the mission room. A commemorative wall block by the entrance doors was “laid by Arthur Wade Esq on the 12 July 1968”.

In 1988, St Mary, South Cowton was closed and vested in the Church Conservation Trust (the church is Grade I listed). In 1990, the parish of The Cowtons was formed and the pastoral centre in North Cowton was consecrated as St Luke’s on 21st October, in order to serve as the parish church.

Concrete rendered walls with plain timber fascias, on painted brick plinth and grassed bank, which sets the church above the street. Double-pitched roof to nave with clerestorey window above line of flat roof over west end, which projects as a canopy supported by metal stanchions over the entrance doors. Tank store to north, added 1988, set forward of main building line but rendered to match. Pyramidal timber bell fleche above the northwest corner, surmounted by flagpole and with single bell hung at bottom.

12 steps lead to the entrance, with square section metal handrails. Entrance is via timber double doors with clear glazed panels and rounded cross-shaped handle.

Square-headed window to south of main entrance, with section of carved stonework from a tomb at the demolished St Mary, East Cowton set into wall below. The stonework shows three shields, but the details are weather-worn. Plain walls to north, east and south, with fire exit door to north wall. Continuous clerestorey windows in obscure glass run length of nave on north and south walls; small picture frame windows to west end of north wall (to WC and kitchen).

An entrance lobby provides access to a kitchen and WC to the north, through plain timber doors, and a vestry to the south. All are plainly decorated with flat ceilings.

Access into the nave is through plain square-headed double timber doors. The nave and sanctuary are one space, with a simple platform at the east end, up two steps. The walls throughout are largely featureless, painted block work, with exposed timber cruck trusses along the length, supporting a shallow double-pitch roof. The principal feature of the interior is the medieval arched stonework from the demolished St Mary, East Cowton which is set slightly proud of the east wall, forming a backdrop to the altar.