St Cuthbert’s Church, Lorton

St Cuthbert’s Church at Lorton in Cumberland is a peculiar little place. It was rebuilt in 1806, after a curate at the end of the eighteenth century had written to the Bishop of Carlisle bemoaning its state, claiming:

“the villagers take their life in their hands by entering the building”.

Constructed in what is quite clearly gothic revival, then in vogue, it does appear rather odd, or even forced, with its Decorated external windows but internal Perpendicular arches. That great snob, Professor Nikolaus Pevsner, described it as ‘indefensible’ in his seminal Buildings of England, perhaps on account of this. Odd or indefensible it might be, but no-one now writes to the bishop complaining about the possibility of it falling down on top of their heads.

Being a remote chapel, and part of a larger parish with its own priest who would have jealously guarded his tithes and fees though not his expenses, Lorton was served by ‘curates’. Today, this means a trainee learning the ropes, but then it could refer to a lesser-paid cleric whose lack of education meant he would never gain a proper benefice. Alan Peyll served from 1524 in this capacity, along with Henry Wyslon, Peter Hudson and Alan Crakplace (I rather like the latter’s name). It was noted in 1571 that “they have no servyce but as they provide themselves”.

So, a dangerous building served by amateurs, which was replaced by an odd-looking building led by more professional clergy (currently ‘Revd. Canon Jane Charman, Grasmoor Mission Community Leader and Revd. Barbara Robinson, curate’). I cannot vouch for the quality of its current ministry, much less that from the time of Elizabeth I, but this I do know: simple gatherings, led by simple folk in less than ideal places, are often the ones which glorify God the most.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23-24

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