St. Peter's Church, Martindale

Banner Image: St, Peter's Church Martindale © Gordon Lightburn

St Peter’s Church, Martindale, was built in 1880 and consecrated on 6th January 1882. It is stands on the Hause in Martindale and is called “New Church” to distinguish it from the “Old Church” of St Martin’s which is further along the valley. The church was built on an acre of open common and was paid for by two prominent local gentlemen – Anthony Parkin of Sharrow Bay and W H Parkin of Ravencragg.

The church is constructed of local stone in the Early English style. The architect was J B Cory and the builder was Edward Peel of Patterdale. The walls are of slate rubble with red sandstone window and door surrounds and gable copings. The roof is slate with diminishing courses. The interior walls are of plain plaster with red sandstone stonework, arches and openings.

Martindale, St Peter's © Gordon Lightburn.jpg

Fifteen of the windows are late twentieth century by Jane Gray of Shrewsbury and were commissioned by the incumbent in the 1970s, Rev. Charles Barrand. Gray said that Martindale was one of her favourite commissions and that the vicar regarded her style as “modern medieval”. One of the south windows is a memorial to Commander W H Parkin and the servicemen who perished with him on board HMS Glorious which was sunk off Norway in 1940. Parkin had been a resident in Martindale and had family there. The window shows an airman’s view of an aircraft carrier ploughing through the waves with the stars of heaven and a Phoenix above. The other south windows have symbols of Saints Nicholas, Peter, Martin, Ninian and Patrick. The two west windows illustrate the Benedictine. The north windows depict the Nativity, Passion and Resurrection. On the south side of the chancel, there is a memorial window for Rev. Barrand with a theme of St Cecelia whose saint day was on Barrand’s birthday, 22 November.

by Emma Bray