Whitewell Church

I visited the quaint village of Whitewell in Lancashire’s Hodder Valley. His Majesty the King owns much of the area as Duke of Lancaster, and the Towneley Family of Burnley have claimed the ancient Lordship of Bowland, so it is a place associated with the rich and powerful. ‘The Inn at Whitewell’ (above, on the right) is a grand establishment and popular with wedding parties which walk out of the little church straight to their posh dinners. As I got out of my car, a number of tweed-coated characters were cheerily entering the premises, as were a number of owners of stringed instruments. Perhaps the Lord of Bowland or Duke of Lancaster were dining inside, and desired suitable entertainment.

Despite being a much-vaunted wedding venue, the church was rather small and plain (although my research indicated that its medieval predecessor, which the current construction replaced in 1817, was but one eighth of its size). The chancel, which only goes back to the 1890s, is of rather rough stone, however I was pleased to see a gallery still extant, from which good views could be had. Novelty aside, there was little to fascinate me, though the pulpit was clearly older than the church by several centuries. I dated it to the seventeenth in style, but its lighter wood might indicate the century after. Strange words were carved about its top; a scripture reference, surely, but not one with which, to my shame, I was familiar. I performed a little search on my return, and found it came from the book of Proverbs, chapter 28 and verse 14:

Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

Despite enjoying a better familiarity with the Bible than most, this proverb seemed entirely new to me. One must always have a proper fear and respect towards God, and a soft, teachable heart when His word is read and preached.

Whitewell Church might have offered little in the way of architectural excellency or historical curiosity, but its pulpit taught me a fine lesson in Christian living. I trust it shall do so each Sunday, too, for those not too grand and proud to hear it.