St Mungo's Church, Bromfield
Encyclopedia
St Mungo's Church, Bromfield, is in the village of Bromfield
, Cumbria
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Solway, the archdeaconry of West Cumberland and the diocese of Carlisle
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building.
s were carried out in 1861–62, 1893–94 and 1926.
rubble
with a sandstone slate roof. It has coped gable
s on which are cross finial
s. The plan consists of a two-bay
nave with a north aisle
, a south porch and a north vestry
, and a two-bay chancel
with side chapels and a lean-to hearse house. On the west gable is a twin bellcote and on the east gable is another bellcote for the angelus bell. In the porch is a re-set Norman
doorway with zigzag carving. On the east wall of the nave on each side of the chancel arch are stretches of a Norman frieze
decorated with saltaire crosses. The church originally had transepts, but due to extensions of the church, they now lie east of the chancel arch, the north transept having been absorbed in the aisle. The south chapel was originally a chantry, then walled off from the chancel, has been made into a memorial to the victims of the First World War, and is known as St George's chapel. The south chapel is the Crookdake Chapel and contains a graveslab to Adam Crookdake who died in 1304.
dates from the 12th century and is set on a hexagonal stem. In the south wall is a piscina
and there are aumbries
on each side of the altar. The pews, communion rail and altar screen date from the 19th century. The church contains an 18th-century Royal coat of arms
, and on the walls are memorial plaque
s from the 18th and 19th centuries. Inside the porch are fragments of a medieval
cross and graveslabs.
also dedicated to St Mungo. Over it is a circular sandstone wellhead with a conical stone cap dating from 1878; it is listed Grade II.
Bromfield, Cumbria
Bromfield is a village and civil parish in the Allerdale district of Cumbria, England.It is about five miles north-east of Aspatria. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 530. It has 2 farms, a church dedicated to St Mungo, and a pub....
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England. It is an active Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the deanery of Solway, the archdeaconry of West Cumberland and the diocese of Carlisle
Diocese of Carlisle
The Diocese of Carlisle was created in 1133 by Henry I out of part of the Diocese of Durham, although many people of Celtic descent in the area looked to Glasgow for spiritual leadership. The first bishop was Æthelwold, formerly the king's confessor and now prior of the Augustinian priory at...
. The church has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building.
History
The church dates from the 12th century with additions and alterations during the next two centuries. RestorationVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
s were carried out in 1861–62, 1893–94 and 1926.
Exterior
St Mungo's is constructed in red sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
with a sandstone slate roof. It has coped gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s on which are cross finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s. The plan consists of a two-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave with a north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
, a south porch and a north vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
, and a two-bay chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
with side chapels and a lean-to hearse house. On the west gable is a twin bellcote and on the east gable is another bellcote for the angelus bell. In the porch is a re-set Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorway with zigzag carving. On the east wall of the nave on each side of the chancel arch are stretches of a Norman frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
decorated with saltaire crosses. The church originally had transepts, but due to extensions of the church, they now lie east of the chancel arch, the north transept having been absorbed in the aisle. The south chapel was originally a chantry, then walled off from the chancel, has been made into a memorial to the victims of the First World War, and is known as St George's chapel. The south chapel is the Crookdake Chapel and contains a graveslab to Adam Crookdake who died in 1304.
Interior
The fontBaptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 12th century and is set on a hexagonal stem. In the south wall is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and there are aumbries
Aumbry
In the Middle Ages an aumbry was a cabinet in the wall of a Christian church or in the sacristy which was used to store chalices and other vessels, as well as for the reserved sacrament, the consecrated elements from the Eucharist. This latter use was infrequent in pre-Reformation churches,...
on each side of the altar. The pews, communion rail and altar screen date from the 19th century. The church contains an 18th-century Royal coat of arms
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
, and on the walls are memorial plaque
Memorial Plaque
The Memorial Plaque was issued after the First World War to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war....
s from the 18th and 19th centuries. Inside the porch are fragments of a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
cross and graveslabs.
External features
To the north of the church is a holy wellHoly well
A holy well, or sacred spring, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term 'holy well' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of...
also dedicated to St Mungo. Over it is a circular sandstone wellhead with a conical stone cap dating from 1878; it is listed Grade II.