I'm still back at the end of June and catching up with posts on our visit to the North East.
On our way to Beamish Museum we diverted from the route via Chester-le-Street because there was a big international cricket match there. As we drove towards Beamish via Stanley we realised we would pass through the village of Lanchester. I'd recently been doing some family history research for a friend and some of her 19th century ancestors had left the copper mines of Devon and Cornwall and travelled to County Durham to find mining work at places like Kyo and Tansfield which were then in the Parish of Lanchester.
We decided to stop and have a quick look around.
We crossed the main road from the village centre with the intention of taking just one or two photos but the church was open so we couldn't resist popping inside.
Inside people were very friendly and a lovely man took us around the church and pointed out some interesting features. He even popped into the vestry to look up the names I'd been researching.
All Saints church dates from the mid 12th century and probably replaced an earlier Saxon church. Lots of the stones used for building came from the nearby Roman fort, Some of the pillars in the North aisle are from the fort too. The alter rail is Jacobean.
The pews were made in the late 1930s by Robert Thompson, the mouse man of Kilburn.
I managed to spot a mouse!
The font was made of Frosterley marble.
Stone in the doorway of the South porch with medieval cross carved into it. There was a cross each side of the ancient door.
In the porch were many remains from the Roman fort including the altar above.
Above and below a couple of street views.
I thought it was a charming village with a few shops and restaurants along the main street.
Wonderful day, yet again.....
ReplyDeleteWhat delights you have, to visit...
Thank you WoW, we certainly packed a lot of visits into a few days:)
DeleteThe church is lovely!
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a beuatiful church and so light and welcoming inside too:)
DeleteThat was a great diversion. How lovely to find the carved mouse in the pretty church and your meal does look tasty and beautifully presented. 😊
ReplyDeleteYes, it was an interesting diversion. I loved seeing the mouse. The meal was wonderful, I was impressed with the pristine white tableloths and napkins as well as the food, everytime someone left a table they werereplaced with clean ones:)
DeleteWhat a wonderful place to visit, I loved coming along with you on this little diversion. The church was a delight and must have been a real joy to see the mouse.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great discovery and the church was lovely I would like to go back again one day:)
DeleteThis country never ceases to amaze me. You turn off down some little side road and before you know it you're immersed in centuries of deep history. And, more often than not these days, you can find somewhere serving decent food.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful? I remember trying to find places to eat in those two hours between five when cafes closed and seven when restaurants opened, there is so much choice now in food choices too. I hadn't known about the Roman fort being there until we went into the church - so much history there:)
DeleteWhat an interesting place to visit and the church is superb - so pleased you found one of the Robert Thompson mice and the Roman altar is wonderful. It was so kind of the person in the church to look up the names for you and show you round (you can often learn a lot about the church this way) :).
ReplyDeleteThe meal looks delicious :)
The people in the church were so enthusiastic about its history and proud of the church building too. He must have had an electronic index handy in the vestry as he was vey quick to tell me the name I was looking for wasn't there in burials or christenings. I guess they may have been methodist or baptist as both were represented with chapels in the village too. I was thrilled to spot the mouse:)
DeleteHow lovely is the little mouse on the pew! The meal looks delicious, suddenly i'm feeling hungry!
ReplyDeleteI was pleased to spot the mouse. the food was lovely and so well presented:)
DeleteIt looks like a solidly built church and it's lovely when people are helpful when doing some family history research. It's interesting to know that your friend's ancestors followed a similar life's path as my family. My great greats on the maternal side left the mines of Cornwall and the border with Devon, went to find work in Cumbria and then ended up in a mining community in Northumberland. I'm glad you found a Thompson mouse carving! The marble base to the font is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda, it does sound as if the family I've been researching moved around the country in a similar way to your family. I expect the copper mines were closing just as the coal mines were opening. Interestingly the other side of her family moved from Gloucestershire to Birmingham and all worked in the jewellery industry, I do find family history fascinating. It was a joy to find the mouse:)
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