St Oswald's Church, Dean

St Oswald's Church, Dean

St Oswald's Church, Dean, from the southeast
St Oswald's Church, Dean

Location in Cumbria

Coordinates: 54°36′54″N 3°26′25″W / 54.6149°N 3.4403°W
OS grid reference NY 070 253
Location Dean, Cumbria
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Website St Oswald, Dean
History
Dedication Saint Oswald
Architecture
Status Parish church
Functional status Active
Heritage designation Grade I
Designated 5 September 1986
Architectural type Church
Style Norman, Gothic
Groundbreaking 12th century
Completed 1973
Specifications
Materials Calciferous sandstone, slate roofs
Administration
Parish Dean
Deanery Derwent
Archdeaconry West Cumberland
Diocese Carlisle
Province York
Clergy
Vicar(s) Revd Ken Kitchin

St Oswald's Church is in the village of Dean, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Derwent, the archdeaconry of West Cumberland and the diocese of Carlisle.[1] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.[2]

History

St Oswald's dates from the 12th century, with an extension in the following century.[2] The chancel was added in the 15th century and the sanctuary in the 17th century. An extensive restoration was carried out between 1967 and 1973, which included new pews and a pulpit.[3]

Architecture

The church is built in blocks of calciferous sandstone and has green slate roofs. The roofs have coped gables and cross finials. Its plan consists of a three bay nave with a south aisle and a south porch, and a three-bay chancel with a north vestry. On the gable between the nave and the chancel is a twin open bellcote. Gargoyles stretch from the eaves of the chancel. The lower courses of the north wall of the nave and a blocked doorway date from the 12th century, and a medieval cross slab is built into this wall. The remainder of the fabric of the nave is from the 13th century. The chancel dates from the 15th century and in its east wall is a Tudor three-light window. The vestry dates from the 20th century. The arcade consists of four rounded-headed arches on round piers. The south wall of the aisle has recesses for a tomb and for an aumbry, and there is an aumbry in the south wall of the chancel. The bowl of the font is Norman, supported on a 20th-century shaft. The stained glass in the west window dates from the 19th century.[2] The single-manual organ was built in 1975 by Eric Mason of Bolton.[4]

External features

Preaching cross

In the churchyard is a preaching cross. Its base originated as a calvary dating from the medieval era. The cross dates probably from the 17th century and it carries a sundial dated 1825.[5] It is constructed in calciferous sandstone and consists of seven octagonal steps on which is a cross base surmounted by the sundial, the brass plate of which is missing. It has been designated as a Grade II listed building.[6] The cross is traditionally linked with Calder Abbey. It is a scheduled ancient monument.[5][7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ St Oswald, Dean, Church of England, retrieved 1 April 2010
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Historic England, "Church of St Oswald, Dean (1145164)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 18 May 2012
  3. ↑ Dean - St Oswald's Church, Visit Cumbria, retrieved 1 April 2010
  4. ↑ Cumberland (Cumbria), Dean - St. Oswald, British Institute of Organ Studies, retrieved 1 April 2010
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pastscape: Monument No. 8862, English Heritage, retrieved 1 April 2010
  6. ↑ Historic England, "Churchyard cross south of the Church of St Oswald, Dean (1326878)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 18 May 2012
  7. ↑ Historic England, "Medieval standing cross in St Oswald's churchyard, Dean (1014805)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 18 May 2012

Further reading