St Cuthbert, Bewcastle
St Cuthbert, Bewcastle
St Cuthbert is a Grade II* parish church at Bewcastle, Cumbria, in the Diocese of Carlisle. Historic England dates the church to the thirteenth century, with a west tower of 1792 and alterations of 1901. The building stands inside the earthworks of Bewcastle Roman fort.
- Location
- Bewcastle, Cumbria
- Country
- England
- County
- Cumbria
- City / town
- Bewcastle
- Address
- Bewcastle, Cumbria, CA6 6PS
- Postcode
- CA6 6PS
- Built
- C13; west tower 1792; alterations 1901
- Denomination
- Church of England
- Dedication
- Cuthbert
- Diocese
- Carlisle
- Parish
- Bewcastle St Cuthbert
- Grade
- II*
- Style
- Medieval nave with Georgian tower
- Materials
- Mixed calciferous sandstone rubble with flush quoins; tower partly rendered; graduated green slate roof
- Grid reference
- NY 565 746
- Opening hours
- Open everyday 9am to 5pm.
- Access
- Level access throughout
Overview
Walls are mixed calciferous sandstone rubble with large flush quoins; the two-storey square west tower is partly rendered, under a graduated green slate roof. The tower has a dated round-arched door, round-arched windows and an open bellcote. The four-bay nave and chancel have 1901 lancets and a thirteenth-century three-light east window. Part of the nave was taken down for the tower; the nave walls were lowered when the church was reroofed in 1901. A west gallery on stone pillars was rebuilt in 1901. Fittings include a medieval font bowl and a thirteenth-century piscina.
The churchyard holds the Bewcastle Cross, an early eighth-century (or late seventh-century) Northumbrian sandstone shaft about 4.4 m high, with runic inscriptions, figure sculpture and vine scroll, including a sundial. Historic England schedules the cross with the Roman fort and medieval castle (list entry 1015728). Pevsner ranked the Bewcastle and Ruthwell crosses among the greatest works of their date in Europe.