After we had visited St.Maurice’s Church we drove up the road 15 minutes and turned down a narrow country lane to find the rather lovely Holy Trinity Church settled in a secluded glen.
The History Bit 🍪 ☕️
( Actually a lot of this is supposedly, and apparently, so there’s history and a bit of lore.)
The oldest part of the mostly Norman Church is believed to be 12th century and built by the monks of Tynemouth after Queen Maud ~ (Matilda of Scotland who was the wife of the Henry I ) gave the Manor of Bewick to Tynemouth Priory in 1107. She did so in memory of her royal father Malcolm Canmore (or Maol Chaluim mac Dhonnchaidh in his native tongue), King of Scotland, who was slain at the Battle of Alnwick in 1093 and buried at Tynemouth. He had snatched the crown of Scotland from Macbeth (the one from Shakespear) in 1054, and in 1091 brought an army south across the border, laying waste to much of Northumberland. Due to the ongoing battles with the pesky Scots in the late 13th century, the church was damaged but restored in the 14th century. There is a possibility that the restoration was done by the husband of a lady who’s effigy can be found in the chancel. She is wearing C14th century costume, and is thought to be the work of sculptors who had a workshop near Alnwick until about 1340. But it is also said to be of Matilda, aka Queen Maud!
A bell dated 1483 was found in the rubble of the vestry suggesting that at this time it had a tower or belfry. Inside the church and porch are several examples of C13th and C14th tomb slabs. Although the church went through more damage around 1640, Ralph Williamson, Lord of the Manor, restored the nave. However, early in the next century, the roof was blown off and the chapel fell to ruin although still used for burials. In 1866 Mr J C Langlands (whose monument stands at the end of the lane) had the church restored, and it opened for services in 1867.
As usual we went hunting for interesting gravestones and found a few..
Someone took the trouble to work this out!
“In the year of our Lord God 1720, here lieth the body of Roger, who departed this li(f)e at bueck (Bewick) mill race, muera (?died ~ possibly meant mori, latin or less possibly muerte, Spanish) 1720″.
This seemed sad,
Grand Master Burdon and his wife, the last surviving daughter of Major Thomas Packenham Vandeleur of Belfield, Co. Limerick.
The bushes behind the robin on a cross are not bushes, that’s a full length fallen tree courtesy of Storm Arwen, and a few of the headstones got battered.
Going inside there are both anglo saxon and Norman features
The church was re-roofed in Victorian times, thanks to Mr J.C. Langlands.
So that’s the end of our initial foray into the churches nearest our favourite café in Northumberland. The following week we did two more, and had lunch again 😊 and they’ll be up in the next couple of posts. I bet you’re all agog so stay tooned!
📷 😊
clickable pics for embiggerment.
Full album HERE for last week and this weeks posts.
refs- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_of_Scotland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_III_of_Scotland
https://www.northernvicar.co.uk/2019/10/26/old-bewick-northumberland-holy-trinity/
What a wonderful little church! And great photos to go with your amazing telling of the history!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Steve!
LikeLike
Nice to find such an old church with those interesting gravestones, FR. A well-illustrated slice of history indeed.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Pete.
LikeLike
‘pesky Scots’
Wut?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes sir. The pesky Scots have featured in many of my Northumberland history posts. They quite liked Northumberland and wanted to have it for themselves, I kind of wish they’d won it in the end, but alas it didn’t work out that way. Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cold in the winter I’ll bet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a cold day but I didn’t notice it being so inside, too busy photographing I suppose. We’re hardened to cold up here though!
LikeLike
One of the main reasons I don’t go walking through cemeteries any more is because of the childrens’ graves.
But those are some nice pictures and lore overall.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Booky.
LikeLiked by 1 person
…another fine skull & bones….
LikeLiked by 1 person
They did seem to like them back then!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those gravestones are amazing
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed, thanks Rich.
LikeLike
Great post. The wonderful thing of living on a rocky island is that one can carve grave stones that excist for many ages. In my wet, flat, non-rocky country, they used wood that has dissapeared long ago. So really old grave stones of ordinary people are scarse.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a shame, all that lost history.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Old churches and cemeteries are fascinating. Here in New England the headstones are slate, so the carvings remain intact. One that I remember is of a child who died from ‘throat distemper’. My doctor confirmed that term meant ‘diphtheria’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes the children’s graves are sobering.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another wonderful post! I love history and especially your telling of it! The photos are great! I can hardly wait for the next instalment! 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Connie, next one in progress as we speak!
LikeLiked by 1 person
History would be much more interesting in school, Fraggle, if the prose was like yours and accompanied by your photos.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Don!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a lovely little church, the kind I think are among the best. Grand as cathedrals can be, these have an intimacy I rather like. And, as a descendant of a pesky Scots family . . . well, what can I say? 😉 Looking forward, A G O G as usual, to your future posts!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha I knew someone would be! 🤣 thanks Naomi.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a smart cookie you are!
LikeLiked by 1 person
An interesting photo tour!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Marland.
LikeLike
You’re welcome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love old churches. This was brilliant. You are so fortunate to have such amazing old history around you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cheers Mae!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That apse is wonderful. If I went to a service there, I’d probably spend the whole time looking at the stars.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I would too, it really is quite beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have many interesting photos, do you have photos of Cornwall, I’ve read many books with the set in there, and it would be great to see some photos. It’s one place on my list to visit one day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do have some old film shots of Cornwall, or did, if I can find them I’ll do a post 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That will be great! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
wow. Beautiful. And just thinking on the long history is amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cheers Keith!
LikeLike
Always intriguing and wonderful Fraggle. Love the history, so foreign, mysterious to me. Gravestones are always fascinating just imagining the lives beneath. Keep them coming! 💕C
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Cheryl!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a cute little church. I love the skull and crossbones grave marker!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have our fair share of those! Cheers Stevie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stunning church…I love Norman and Romaesque architecture, Igo go ape for that apse, – and old gravestones. The modern stones are so…lifeless?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are amazing places choca with history, yes new graves are not exciting in the least!
LikeLiked by 1 person