Lake District - Day 2 Sunday 28th October - Part 2: St Andrew's Church Coniston, The Ruskin Cross and Steam Yacht Ride Coniston Water

The Parish Church of Coniston - St Andrew


While B D and E were continuing to look round the town I managed to "escape" to the church for 15 minutes to have a brief look around.

There is some evidence to suggest that a chapel existed in Coniston in the 12th or 13th century. In 1557 a William Fleming inherited and restored Coniston Hall and built the Elizabethan Chapel in 1586. This chapel was replaced in the 19th century and the new church consecrated by the Bishop of Chester on 31st January 1819. This church consisted of a nave with a square bell tower, a north porch and a gallery. A restoration of the church took place in 1891 and the new church was consecrated by Dr Harvey Goodwin, Bishop of Carlisle, on 17th November 1891 and dedicated to St Andrew.

Many of the features in the church were provided by patrons and benefactors of Coniston over the centuries. For example, the Fleming family whose patronage is responsible for the continuing existence of a chapel/church. Also the Barratt family in the 19th and early 20th centuries who gave a great deal of patronage.


The War Memorial based on a Celtic Cross was designed by William G. Collingwood

Etched glass memorial to Donald Campbell

The font is alabaster on a serpentine plinth and was donated in 1891 by the Rev. Miles Moss of St John, Windermere.

Memorial Tablet in memory of the late Colonel Bousfield who was married to John Barratt's daughter Catherine.

The organ was installed in memory of Mrs Emily Petherick in 1908 by her daughter Margaret Barratt.

East Window

This stained glass window of St Andrew is I believe by William Kempe.

The Ruskin Cross

The North East Corner of the churchyard is Coniston's Literary Corner where John Ruskin is buried beneath the Ruskin Celtic style Cross. The carvings on the Cross are biographical and represent his work. The Cross is also a tribute to W G Collingwood who designed it and is buried nearby. William Collingwood was Ruskin's bigrapher and his assistant and secretary for many years. The shaft and head are made from one stone of greenstone or volcanic ash (green slate) which came from the Mossrigg Quarries in Tilberthwaite. The lower block of the base comes from Elterwater and is a similar rock with the pedestal cut into three "Calvary Steps". The sculptor was Mr H.T. Miles of Ulverston who worked under Ruskin for a while. The cross including pedestal is nine feet high.


J.R. Ruskin was a famous Victorian art critic, art patron, draughtsman, water colourist, social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote books, papers and essays on many subjects such as geology, architecture, myth, literature, botany, political economy and education. His writings were varied - essays, treatises, poetry etc., and he painted rocks, birds, landscapes and architecture. He emphasised connections between nature, art and society. Today his ideas and thoughts are recognised as having helped an interest in environmentalism, sustainability and craft. He passionately wanted to draw people's attention to the free beauties and marvels of nature - sunsets, dawn, feathers, crystals and cloud. His motto was "There is no wealth but life". He spent the late decades of his life at Brantwood house on the other side of the lake and he was buried in the churchyard at Coniston on 21st January, 1900, at his own request instead of Westminster Abbey.



The west side of the cross represents the later years of Ruskin's life.

These carvings represent his work after 1860 and his book "Unto This Last" with the title taken from the parable of labourers in the vineyard. Above is a panel of lilies for his most read book "Seasame and Lilies".

The carving in the upper part of the shaft symbolises "Crown of Wild Olive" The intertwined pattern of ribbon and wreath represents the mystery of life - one of Ruskin's themes. The figure is "Fors Lavigera, the angel of Destiny, holding the Club, the Key and the Nail where Fors, the Club-bearer represents the strength of Hercules or of Deed; Fors the Key-bearer symbolises the strength of Ulysses or of Patience and Fors, the Nail-bearer represents the strength of Lycurgus or of Law. These aspects of human life formed the content of his Letters to the Working Men of England. Cherubs often appear on gravestones and they are descendants of the winged sun-symbol of early Assyria - a primitive emblem of life and immortality.

St George and the Dragon refers to his scheme to set up the Guild of St. George a scheme which did not turn out as well as he hoped but still exists today.

I wasn't sure whether or not to include this photo due to the swastika's connection these days with Nazism so I do hope I do not upset anyone but in Ruskin's time the ancient fingol symbol of a revolving cross was a very old hieroglyph of the sun on its course and therefore represented the rise of life. To the Christian church it meant the sunrise of each day and the resurrection to another life.

The east side of the cross overlooks John Ruskin's grave and bears his name and the years of his birth and death. The carvings are representative of his earlier life and works. The carving at the base is of a young singer with his lyre and laurels and refers to his first works as a poet.

The rising sun in this carving is a symbol often used to illustrate covers of early editions of his books and sun rise was an event he loved to watch. The mountains represent the Mont Blanc range near Geneva which he drew. He conceived the idea of his first book when stopping there.

The next panel is the winged Lion of St Mark and the seven branched Candlestick of the Tabernacle which symbolise his books "The Stones of Venice" and "The Seven Lampos of Architecture".

As usual I missed a feature which I am very annoyed with myself about and this was the south side which has floral and animal scrolls representing the tree of life. The squirrels, foxes and birds in the carvings symbolise Ruskin's love of natural history. The north side which I did see but somehow forgot to take a photo of contains an interlaced pattern.

I took a photo of this gravestone because of the unusual and lovely name.

Plants in Walls

Timothy feeling cold but enjoying Coniston!

We then drove to a car park on the shores of Coniston Water and luckily managed to park this time!

Old Man of Coniston

We spotted a Grey Wagtail on this stream - too lively sadly to get a picture.

Mute Swans (juveniles and adult) and Mallard

We went a walk first along the shore.

*D



Then we decided to go for a boat ride on the National Trust Steam Yacht Gondola which was very enjoyable with stunning views and we were shown where Donald Campbell's Bluebird sunk, Brantwood and some locations in the Swallows and Amazons book by Arthur Ransome which is set round Coniston.

Brantwood - home to John Ruskin. We have visited here in the past and it is well worth a visit - the house and grounds are lovely and one day I would like to go again.

*D

Sculptures on the lake shore of the Walker family from Swallows and Amazons.

*D



On our return we stopped off at the Bluebird Cafe, thankfully now quieter!, for

a hot chocolate and ice cream. I know I was a bit greedy but we had had no lunch!

Stuffing myself with a hot drink and icecream turned out to be inadvisable as not long after we stopped on the way back to Broomriggs for meal at The Red Lion.

Vegetarian and non vegetarian meals

The owner of the pub is a Liverpool FC fan!

The Queen's Head and

pumpkins for Halloween.

Sorry it has been a long post with many photos!

The next post will include a trip to Rydal Water and Grasmere.




*D Photos taken by D with the Canon SX50 bridge camera

Rest of the photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330



Reference: Church guide to the Parish Church of Coniston St Andrew

Booklet on The Ruskin Cross of Coniston by W G Collingwood