St Peter's Church, Kirkbampton

St Peter's Church at Kirkbampton in Cumberland is another, low, towerless Cumbrian church for which the area is known. Yet within its plain and austere exterior are several treasures within. Through an impressive medieval doorway one enters a small and narrow chancel, but with another impressive arch, dating to the first part of the 1100s. On one side there is the carved face of a ‘green man’, an ancient pagan fertility figure whom the medieval ‘Christians’ were still inclined to honour (below).

More curiously still, and because of its location a mile from Hadrian’s Wall, there is an inscribed Roman stone built into the chancel’s south wall. Heavily abbreviated, as usual, the inscription reads:

VEX, LEG P.F.FEC

-which has been translated by more learned minds as:

‘The troops of the 6th Legion, the victorious, pious & faithful did this work’

If only they could see that their section of the emperor’s wall, which they constructed with such dedication, is now part of a building given to the worship and message of one executed by Rome for being a rival king: Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps those who cannibalised the Sixth Legion’s section of wall to build this church felt themselves equally victorious, pious, and faithful. Whatever you do for King Jesus in this life, may those three words be your goals, too.