St John's bells are ringing out now services are back. although with a careful risk assessment, Thank you Nigel! The first written reference to the date of the two bells is from 1552, but the inscriptions suggest they are older. They were rehung when the bell turret was rebuilt in 1796. The inscriptions are interesting - one is inscribed SANCTUS JACOBUS. DOMINUS THOMAS WALKER. The church, of course is "St John", and we have no record of a name change. Thomas Walker was the rector from 1439 until at least 1473 and may have been the donor. A really fascinating alternative explanation comes from the inscription on the second bell HENRICUS SEXTUS REX. We know that King Henry VI took refuge at nearby Muncaster Castle (possibly in 1461) and gave them the "Luck of Muncaster" as thanks for the help he was given. The story is that he is connected to the bells in some way, perhaps gifting them to the church himself.We may never know, but students from Oxford University are researching the Luck of Muncaster story, and, who knows. we may find out more about the circumstances around Henry's flight.
We may be nearer to finding out the age of our church. The local history group have been given grant funding for carbon dating of the roof timbers, and dendrochronology if the carbon dating doesn't give results. Thanks to the group for putting the application together and to CWAAS for awarding the grant.
As part of our historic research into St John's , we have got interested in the roof space! If you've visited you'll know that one of the church's quirks is that it has a ceiling (c1807). Above that (through a rather small opening) is a hotchpotch of timbers, but we are hoping they tell a story. It appears that the roof is of two different dates, with the east end appearing earlier than the west. Where the timbers change there are signs that something has once been fixed, and it's been suggested that it could have been an external bell at the west end of an older chapel. The local history group have put in for a grant from Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society to fund expert advice and surveys. It would be great to have a clearer understanding of the story of the existing building.
Some of the Heritage Group pushed their technical skills to a new level when 5 of us "met" online earlier this week. It all went very smoothly except for one member who was forced to roam the house looking for a quiet place! Well done everyone.We have reviewed our plans after the Lottery disappointment. Our first priority has to be sorting out the damp problem which is the reason for the building being on the At Risk register. This will mean removing the 1970s cement render to allow the building to breathe again, repairing and replacing guttering and downspouts and checking external drainage. New internal and external finishes will be in traditional materials. The photo in this article shows lettering found under the plaster in the 1970s and now hidden. We intend to apply for grants which can support this work and to concentrate our fundraising on building up a "war chest" so that we have matched funding for the grant bodies who require it. We now have a JustGiving page, (www.justgiving.com and search for St John's Waberthwaite). Donations can be gift aided very easily, so that will help us maximise any gifts. It would be great if everyone who would have visited St John's and left a donation in "normal" times would consider this as an option in these, more challenging, times. The church is still closed, but we look forward to the time when we can invite you to visit for worship.
