St Catherine’s, Boot

St Catherine’s Church in the village of Boot at Eskdale, Cumbria, was not easy to find. KP stopped a random woman out walking her dog to seek direction; providentially, she turned out to be the church warden and offered clear instructions.

The church itself was worth the wait and the trouble. Although much of it is medieval, several sources claim that Christian worship has been offered here since the sixth century, which marks the end of the ancient world. It is associated with an anonymous hermit who called this place his home. Should I ever feel the need to run away from civilisation and seek refuge in the wilderness, Eskdale would be towards the top of my possible destinations; that hermit had good taste.

A nice medieval font is situated at the west end, but it was a relatively modern stained-glass window that most arrested my attention, depicting a beautiful woman reading a Bible in front of an angel. Sadly, my photograph did not record the name or dedication; it may be the Virgin Mary at the annunciation, though I suspect that she was based upon a young woman of the parish. Her face could almost be a photograph, her beauty for ever preserved by the glazier's art.

The second image that fascinated me was of an older man on one of the tombstones, without. Presiding over carvings of a fox and hound, the craggy face of Thomas Dobson still peers out. He died in 1910 and had been Master of the Eskdale and Ennerdale Hunt for 53 years, so the stone is now known as the Huntsman's Grave. Somehow, there is still some strength in his powerful, unblinking gaze.

I cannot say if the beautiful woman or the powerful huntsman are with the Saviour in heaven or awaiting divine judgement in hades. In our future, glorified state, however, we shall possess both complete strength and perfect beauty, neither quality compromising or forsaking the other. Strong people are often unattractive, mentally if not physically, while beautiful people are sometimes weak or weak-willed. Occasionally, a good-looking athlete or soldier will combine the two, but only for a few years before each slip through his fingers. In heaven, neither shall diminish as we better reflect the power and loveliness of the Perfect One who bought us for Himself.

Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Psalm 96:6

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