More information : [SD 35209805 ] St. Michael's Church [TI] (1)
The chapel at HAWKSHEAD was included in the agreement between the
monks of FURNESS and the canons of CONISTON about 1200, by which it
was secured by the monks, when it became a chapel to their church at
DALTON and and so continued until 1578, when Archbishop SANDYS is
said to have assigned a separate parish to it. The rectory was then
in the queen's hands from the suppression, and 10 pounds was allowed
to the incumbent. The rectory was sold by JAMES I in 1615 and was
later acquired by the KIRKBYS of KIRKBY IRELETH (c.1649). The
patronage remained with the Crown in right of the duchy until 1872,
when on exchange it was transferred to the Bishop of CARLISLE.
[List of incumbents ? 1578-1909]
The building is very plain in character and is of little architectural interest. No part of it is earlier than the late 15c or early 16c.
It is built throughout of rubble masonry of local Silurian
stone, originally covered with rough-cast, removed 1875-6.
The plainness of the detail outside and within makes it difficult to
arrive at any conclusions as to the date of the building; the round
piers and heavy segmented arches of the arcade, sometimes spoken of as NORMAN, being probably of late date, an example of local building
perhaps of the early 16c.
The church consists of a chancel and nave with north and south
aisles, and a west tower. There is a vestry on the north side
of the tower.
The north aisle appears to have been built, or rebuilt, by archbishop SANDYS in 1578, the date and initials being over the north-east
entrance. The clerestory is probably an Elizabethan addition; it may have been erected at the same time. The date 1633 on the south
side may refer to the replacement of wooden windows by stone ones
at that time. The vestry was erected in 1793, and the whole church
was restored, and new roofs erected in 1875-6.
The windows of the nave and chancel are modern or of late detail. The
priest's doorway in the south aisle is now built-up. The west tower
is without buttresses, and the embattled parapet and angle pinnacles
have been rebuilt. The tower arch is modern, and of the west
doorway, only the jambs are old. all the fittings in the church,
including the font are modern. (2)
The church is in regular use for divine worship.
The situation, on a knoll, is an imposing one and would very
probably be the site of the chapel first mentioned in 1200. (3)
For full details see list (4)
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