Welcome to St Lawrence Church, Warkworth As you walk around this building, remember that you are treading in the steps of countless worshippers, pilgrims and tourists who came to this holy place before you. We hope that you will enjoy your visit to our beautiful old church and find the peace and refreshment that you seek.

A Short History of the Church

The name Warkworth appeared in Anglo-Saxon history during the twelfth century as Wercewode. Werce was the name of an Abbess who gave a sheet of fine linen to the Venerable Bede to be used as his shroud. The word ‘wode’ or ‘worth’ means a palisaded enclosure. A Saxon Church A church has stood on this site for almost thirteen centuries. In AD 737 the first historical record reports that the King of Northumbria gave Wercewode, with the Church of St Lawrence, to the Abbot and monks of Holy Island. The King's name was Ceolwulf and it was to him that Bede dedicated his History. Two years after Bede's death, Ceolwulf entered Lindisfarne as a monk; this is depicted in the central panel of the Pulpit.

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St Lawrence (AD 225 – 258) is the Patron Saint of Warkworth Parish Church

After the death of Pope Sixtus II in AD 258, the Prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence hand over the riches of the Church. It is said that Lawrence asked for three days to gather together the wealth. Lawrence worked swiftly to distribute to the poor as much Church property as possible, so as to prevent its being seized by the Prefect. On the third day, at the head of a small delegation, he returned to the Prefect, and presented the poor, the crippled, the blind and the suffering, saying that these were the true treasures of the Church. This act of defiance led directly to his martyrdom. Tradition holds that Lawrence was burned or grilled to death, hence his association with the gridiron. Lawrence is said to have joked whilst he was lying on the gridiron ‘turn me over ... I'm done on this side’. However, one longstanding scholarly theory holds that the story of the gridiron arose from a scribe's incorrect transcription of passus est (‘he suffered’, that is, was martyred) as assus est (‘he was roasted’).

The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence from the Howliston Window behind the Pulpit

Danish Raids This first church, probably wooden, is unlikely to have survived the Danish raids in the next century. Even today the beach near the mouth of the River Coquet is called Birling, the Danish for longships. In 875, the year when the monks fled from Lindisfarne with St Cuthbert's body, ‘Halfdene, the Danish King, pitched his camp on the Tyne and cruelly wasted the land from sea to sea.....’ The next church was of stone, and its foundations have been traced beneath the present Chancel Arch; a small cross marks the spot where the altar stood (see plan on page 15). In 2008, when an investigative trench was dug, prior to building buttress number 4 against the north wall, some foundations were discovered which are believed to be those of a side chapel of this pre-conquest church. They were protected to prevent damage when piling was carried out for the new buttress. Sir Richard of the Golden Valley In 1120, Henry I gave the churches of Warkworth, Whittingham, Rothbury and Corbridge to his Chaplain, Richard de Aurea Valle. On his death, these four churches were endowed to the newly formed Diocese of Carlisle and remained so until Newcastle became a Diocese in 1882. The Present Norman Church Norman churches were built not only as places of worship but also as refuges in time of danger and our church is an example of this. Built in 1132/1140 it consisted of a Chancel with a stone roof and the Nave, a long narrow space enclosed by immensely thick stone walls. The windows, set high in the walls, were mere slits which kept out the enemy and the weather. There was little glass in those days. The church must have been a comfortless place with an earthen floor, little light and no seats; but it sheltered the altar and the people. In the 15th century the south wall was opened up to include a colonnade of pillars allowing the aisle to be built.

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Scottish Raids Saturday, July 13th 1174 was a black day in the history of Warkworth. Duncan, Earl of Fife, accompanying the Scottish King William the Lion, entered Warkworth, set fire to the town and put to death three hundred of its inhabitants who had taken refuge within the walls of the church. Harry Hotspur In the course of time Warkworth passed into the hands of the Percy family. The young warrior, Harry Hotspur, spent his youth here and attended the church. He is mentioned in Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 2 and two scenes are set in Warkworth Castle. The Jacobite Rising, 1715 Warkworth has the doubtful honour of being the first market town in England in which James Stuart, the Old Pretender, was proclaimed King. This happened on Sunday morning, October 9th, when the rebel forces, having arrived here from over the border under General Forster, called upon the Reverend William Ion, the Vicar of Warkworth, to pray for the Pretender at Morning Prayer. On his refusing to do this, the Chaplain of the Old Pretender read the morning service from the Book of Common Prayer, and preached a rousing sermon which heartened the General so much that he forthwith drew up his troops in the Market Place and proclaimed James III as King. 'It was done by the sound of the trumpet, and all the formality that the circumstances and the place would admit’. Another record states that the rebels promised 12d a day to all persons joining them, except ‘only the Presbyterians, whom they expressly excluded from that honour’. John Wesley On Saturday, May 16th 1761 John Wesley tells us he was staying at Alnwick when he received a message to come over to Warkworth. A carriage was sent for him and he preached to a 'quiet and attentive congregation'. In many churches Wesley was refused permission to speak but it was evidently not so in Warkworth. The church could hold a very big congregation. The parish included Amble, Acklington and Chevington and these parishioners occupied a special gallery erected at the west end. The pulpit in those days was set against the first pillar, with the hour-glass which we still possess, fixed to it. Later in the day Wesley crossed over the river and visited the Hermitage.

Restoration and Improvements in the 21st Century

2001/3 Installed a new Gas Central Heating System. Installed a new Sound System including a Hearing Loop. Created a Ramp for disabled access through the south door. Fitted new oak Outer Doors to porch. Reordered Altar and Altar rails for more inclusive worship.

2005 Re-laid the floor at the Crossing and Lady Chapel. Re-sited Pulpit to improve sight lines from the nave to the altar. Removed and rebuilt the Rose Window. Priest’s Door access (and emergency exit) made safe. Installed new External Lighting over E-W public footpath.

2006 Re-pointed Spire & Upper Tower. Water deflecting Hoppers fitted inside Lucarnes (openings).

2009 Built No 3 and No 4 Stone Buttresses against North Wall on 22metre piles.

Underpinned and strengthened 14th century No 2 Buttress. Wall-head beam between old No 2 and new No 3 Buttresses. Remedial work to consequential damage to south aisle roof and all 15th Century timbers treated against decay. Re-sited the Font at the crossing for more inclusive baptisms. Raised the floor of the Chantry to eliminate a step.

2010 Built a Servery in the Chantry for refreshments after services and during social and fundraising events.

Rearranged the lower tower to create a toilet suitable for disabled use and a mezzanine floor above it for storage.

Installed modern blower unit under the organ.

If you would like to help us to continue our efforts to preserve the Church of St Lawrence for future generations,

please consider becoming a Friend of Warkworth Church and ‘gift aiding’ your subscription.

Contact us via our website: www.stlawrence-church.org.uk

13 4

Key Dates up to the 20th Century

737 AD First record of Saxon Church – wooden building.

9th/10th century Church - stone foundations.

1132/1140 AD present Church built.

1200 AD Tower to below belfry level.

13th/14th century Buttressing to north wall. Vestry added. 14th century Belfry & Spire added.

15th century south aisle & porch with parvise above added.

1710 Altar rails installed.

1860 Major refurbishment & alterations to roof.

1904 New heating system installed & vestry roof renewed.

1947 South aisle pews removed. Floor laid in Caithness stone.

1948 New drainage system round churchyard.

1962 Trees removed from churchyard. Headstones placed around perimeter walls.

1966 Rewiring of nave & chancel.

1972 First sound system installed.

1980 Rewiring of south aisle.

1983 Overhaul of organ.

1990/1998 Restoration of stained glass windows.

A Walk Round the Church Interior

Please refer to plan on page 15 Starting in the middle of the spacious South Aisle (A), built by the Percys in the 15th century, note the original beams; also the floor of Caithness stone which was laid in 1947.

The colonnade of pillars is built on the foundations of the original Norman wall. Masons' marks, which identify their individual work, are visible here and elsewhere in the building. At the top of the east window in front of you are the only pieces of medieval glass which have survived. There are dedications to St Hilda of Whitby and St Mildred of Kent. The Lady Chapel (B) Below the window on the right are two piscinae (sinks for washing the communion vessels) indicating the position of former altars, probably of Percy Chapels.

Passing the Font (C) look towards the Pulpit (D) which contains some beautiful panels, the work of a 20th century artist, Mr Alfred Southwick: 1. St Lawrence, the Patron Saint of the Church, blessing the poor. 2. St Cuthbert setting out for Coquet Island to meet the Abbess of Whitby. 3. Ceolwulf, the King Founder entering Lindisfarne. 4. St Hilda of Whitby. 5. Benedict Biscop the first Abbot of Wearmouth.

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Stand now in the middle of the Chancel Arch (E). You are on the site of the altar of the original Saxon church. On your left is a built-up stairway to the rood loft. There was a chantry altar by the doorway for offering prayers for the departed. Notice the beautiful Norman stone vaulting of the chancel roof as you move forward. The tiled floor covers ancient gravestones of vicars and clerks of the past.

The initials 'J.C.' represent John Clutterbuck, the benefactor—see plaque on south wall. The three lancet windows in front of you date from 1892 and replaced an earlier large casement window.

Extensive restoration took place in 1860. The church was re-roofed with the loss of the clerestory windows on the south wall; plaster was removed from the interior walls and the box pews were replaced with the current style.

The Altar Rails (F), of beautiful design, are the work of a local craftsman. They were installed in 1710 but removed in 1860. Early in the 20th century they were found rusting in the tower and reinstated. The initials 'M.W.' represent Matthew White who at one time drew the revenue of Church lands. His descendants are the Ridleys of Blagdon.

Ancient Crosses (G) On the window-sill above you is an interesting cross head. It has no shaft and one arm is broken. At its centre it has a circle representing the sun, a symbol of pagan worship, over which another cross has been carved. Also on the sill is the oldest stone in the church, a cross of Celtic chain-work dating

back to the original foundation.

Warkworth School

The earliest recorded school was held in the little room above the porch called the Parvise, reached by a spiral staircase. The blackened walls in one corner show how the children and their teacher kept themselves warm in winter. The smoke escaped through a hole in the roof. In 1736 the school was moved to a new site near the bridge on The Butts built and donated by a parishioner, Mr George Lawson. By 1815, at the time of the Battle of Waterloo, a Mr Wanless was schoolmaster and taught the children their letters for £7 per annum. Mr Richard Downey taught the children to sing for £1 per annum. Writing was taught to 'those who had conducted themselves well' for 10s. Teachers' salaries thus amounted to £8.10s. per annum. In 1819 the departure of the Vicar to be headmaster of Westminster School inspired fresh developments. Sixty farmers and gentry subscribed to make the school a day school. Mr. Wanless was sent to learn a system of mass education, invented by a Dr Bell, for use in Madras for teaching Indian children. His salary was increased to £40, and a schoolmistress, Mrs McGee, was appointed to teach the girls sewing for £25. Prices of some articles at around this time were: mens’ coarse shirts, 5d; ladies' night-caps with double border, 4d; frocks, stitched and tucked, 1s; pocket handkerchiefs, ½d.

To accommodate this new school the Duke granted a site next door on The Butts for a boys' schoolroom, together with the necessary stone. The building was completed in 3½ months and cost £400. Later, in 1852, wings were added on either side to provide a girls' schoolroom and an infants' room. Children were admitted by nomination; subscribers of a guinea were entitled to nominate one child. In 1829 it was ruled that each child pay one penny per week. There was an elaborate system of rewards and punishments: rewards for 'constancy at church and school, clean hands, face and hair'; punishments for 'not minding the teacher, cruelty to human being or brute creation, telling lies or stealing'.

Both these former schools are now private dwellings. The present school building, on Guilden Road, is a Church of England (Aided) First School and was dedicated by the Bishop of Newcastle in May 1971 and an extension was opened in 2010.

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Copy of Etching by J H Le Keux prior to the 1860 Restoration

showing clerestory windows, 15th century roofs and single east window. Ref TWCMS: H12564 © Laing Art Gallery

The Parish Registers These are now held by Northumberland Record Office at Woodhorn and can be viewed by making an appointment. The church wardens’ account books, dating back to 1722, have many interesting entries. One shilling was paid for fox heads, 8d for cub heads; bills for white-washing the walls of the church; for laundry and mending of the surplice; for ringing the bells at Gunpowder Plot; for mending the violin; for cleaning the bridge spouts; 'Rogue Money' for support of prisoners in Durham gaol, including discharged soldiers and sailors; Penitent Sheets, 3d for those who had done amiss and must make public confession at morning prayer.

The Vestry (H) is on your left. Notice the slender hounds in the monument above and how in keeping they are with the surrounding stonework. The vestry was added in the 15th century and may have been an anchorite's dwelling. There was an upper and a lower compartment, the lower one was an oratory and is now the boiler house. Walk down the Nave (I) towards the Tower (J). It is an exceptionally long nave and, at 90 feet, is the longest Norman Nave in Northumberland. The original Norman church ended at the west wall. The tower and spire were added in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Returning towards the main door, on your right is The Knight's Tomb (K) in the Chantry. The well preserved effigy of a cross-legged knight c1330 has an expressive face and sharply cut detail. It now rests on a 17th century table tomb. The significant features are the lion couchant under the knight’s feet, the coroneted helmet, hands holding his heart and a very clear shield bearing the arms of the de Aublyn family of Durham. Despite local legend there is no evidence to connect the effigy with Sir Hugh of Morwick as inscribed on the front of the tomb. The Royal Arms The Arms over the Chantry are those of James II and bear the date 1685. The significance of the Lion and Unicorn may be learned from Psalm 22. King David says, 'Save me from the lion's mouth, Thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorn'. The coats of arms above the door on the south wall are those of the Grey family.

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A Walk Round the Outside of the Church Leaving the church, turn to the left and note the doorway in the corner leading to the room over the porch known as the Parvise or Paradise (the park outside the palace). Once a curate's lodging it served generations of school children up to the 18th century. Further on, near the priest’s door into the chancel, are three medieval coffins which were found under the church floor. Coming round the east end of the church, notice the old door of the vestry and the original window ledges. Five buttresses were built progressively in the 13th and 14th centuries to stop the church rotating on its shallow foundations built on alluvial sand. In the 19th century the two centre ones were taken down since they appeared to be adding to the problem. By the early 21st century the problem of the movement of the north wall had become so acute that an investigation led to the building of two new buttresses, on 22 metre piles down to the bedrock, against which the church can lean for support.

Photograph of 1837 Painting by A T Atkinson showing five 13th/14th century buttresses. Northumberland Archives Ref EP.66/121

The Churchyard Facing the main gate, look to the left and you will find a tomb. Under three hunting horns are the words, 'Here lyeth the body of Edward Dodsworth, East Chevington, huntsman to King James, who departed to the mercy of God the 30th May Anno Domini 1630'. The churchyard wall was kept in repair by the various farms, each farm being responsible for so many yards. The farms also took it in turns to provide bread to be offered on the altar, ‘Holy Bread’.

The Church Clock A clock was given in 1700 by Mr George Lawson of Gloster Hill, he also gave a school house and a market cross to the town. This first clock had only an hour hand, and was eventually replaced by the present clock in 1875. This was supplied and installed by Mr Joyce Whitchurch at a cost of £154.12s. after money was raised by public subscription from 120 of the parishioners and a donation of £25 from the Duke of Northumberland. The present clock face is not painted but made of slate with gilded numerals. The church tower in which the clock is housed, has a spiral staircase with 33 steps to the clock room, 31 steps to the belfry and a further 17 steps by ladder to the external balcony. The clock is still wound by hand each week, taking 52 turns for each of the three weights which drive the hour chimes, the quarter chimes and the clock mechanism itself, with a combined weight of 40 stone - 258 kilograms.

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A Walk Round the Outside of the Church Leaving the church, turn to the left and note the doorway in the corner leading to the room over the porch known as the Parvise or Paradise (the park outside the palace). Once a curate's lodging it served generations of school children up to the 18th century. Further on, near the priest’s door into the chancel, are three medieval coffins which were found under the church floor. Coming round the east end of the church, notice the old door of the vestry and the original window ledges. Five buttresses were built progressively in the 13th and 14th centuries to stop the church rotating on its shallow foundations built on alluvial sand. In the 19th century the two centre ones were taken down since they appeared to be adding to the problem. By the early 21st century the problem of the movement of the north wall had become so acute that an investigation led to the building of two new buttresses, on 22 metre piles down to the bedrock, against which the church can lean for support.

Photograph of 1837 Painting by A T Atkinson showing five 13th/14th century buttresses. Northumberland Archives Ref EP.66/121

The Churchyard Facing the main gate, look to the left and you will find a tomb. Under three hunting horns are the words, 'Here lyeth the body of Edward Dodsworth, East Chevington, huntsman to King James, who departed to the mercy of God the 30th May Anno Domini 1630'. The churchyard wall was kept in repair by the various farms, each farm being responsible for so many yards. The farms also took it in turns to provide bread to be offered on the altar, ‘Holy Bread’.

The Church Clock A clock was given in 1700 by Mr George Lawson of Gloster Hill, he also gave a school house and a market cross to the town. This first clock had only an hour hand, and was eventually replaced by the present clock in 1875. This was supplied and installed by Mr Joyce Whitchurch at a cost of £154.12s. after money was raised by public subscription from 120 of the parishioners and a donation of £25 from the Duke of Northumberland. The present clock face is not painted but made of slate with gilded numerals. The church tower in which the clock is housed, has a spiral staircase with 33 steps to the clock room, 31 steps to the belfry and a further 17 steps by ladder to the external balcony. The clock is still wound by hand each week, taking 52 turns for each of the three weights which drive the hour chimes, the quarter chimes and the clock mechanism itself, with a combined weight of 40 stone - 258 kilograms.

8 9

Copy of Etching by J H Le Keux prior to the 1860 Restoration

showing clerestory windows, 15th century roofs and single east window. Ref TWCMS: H12564 © Laing Art Gallery

The Parish Registers These are now held by Northumberland Record Office at Woodhorn and can be viewed by making an appointment. The church wardens’ account books, dating back to 1722, have many interesting entries. One shilling was paid for fox heads, 8d for cub heads; bills for white-washing the walls of the church; for laundry and mending of the surplice; for ringing the bells at Gunpowder Plot; for mending the violin; for cleaning the bridge spouts; 'Rogue Money' for support of prisoners in Durham gaol, including discharged soldiers and sailors; Penitent Sheets, 3d for those who had done amiss and must make public confession at morning prayer.

The Vestry (H) is on your left. Notice the slender hounds in the monument above and how in keeping they are with the surrounding stonework. The vestry was added in the 15th century and may have been an anchorite's dwelling. There was an upper and a lower compartment, the lower one was an oratory and is now the boiler house. Walk down the Nave (I) towards the Tower (J). It is an exceptionally long nave and, at 90 feet, is the longest Norman Nave in Northumberland. The original Norman church ended at the west wall. The tower and spire were added in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Returning towards the main door, on your right is The Knight's Tomb (K) in the Chantry. The well preserved effigy of a cross-legged knight c1330 has an expressive face and sharply cut detail. It now rests on a 17th century table tomb. The significant features are the lion couchant under the knight’s feet, the coroneted helmet, hands holding his heart and a very clear shield bearing the arms of the de Aublyn family of Durham. Despite local legend there is no evidence to connect the effigy with Sir Hugh of Morwick as inscribed on the front of the tomb. The Royal Arms The Arms over the Chantry are those of James II and bear the date 1685. The significance of the Lion and Unicorn may be learned from Psalm 22. King David says, 'Save me from the lion's mouth, Thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorn'. The coats of arms above the door on the south wall are those of the Grey family.

10 7

Stand now in the middle of the Chancel Arch (E). You are on the site of the altar of the original Saxon church. On your left is a built-up stairway to the rood loft. There was a chantry altar by the doorway for offering prayers for the departed. Notice the beautiful Norman stone vaulting of the chancel roof as you move forward. The tiled floor covers ancient gravestones of vicars and clerks of the past.

The initials 'J.C.' represent John Clutterbuck, the benefactor—see plaque on south wall. The three lancet windows in front of you date from 1892 and replaced an earlier large casement window.

Extensive restoration took place in 1860. The church was re-roofed with the loss of the clerestory windows on the south wall; plaster was removed from the interior walls and the box pews were replaced with the current style.

The Altar Rails (F), of beautiful design, are the work of a local craftsman. They were installed in 1710 but removed in 1860. Early in the 20th century they were found rusting in the tower and reinstated. The initials 'M.W.' represent Matthew White who at one time drew the revenue of Church lands. His descendants are the Ridleys of Blagdon.

Ancient Crosses (G) On the window-sill above you is an interesting cross head. It has no shaft and one arm is broken. At its centre it has a circle representing the sun, a symbol of pagan worship, over which another cross has been carved. Also on the sill is the oldest stone in the church, a cross of Celtic chain-work dating

back to the original foundation.

Warkworth School

The earliest recorded school was held in the little room above the porch called the Parvise, reached by a spiral staircase. The blackened walls in one corner show how the children and their teacher kept themselves warm in winter. The smoke escaped through a hole in the roof. In 1736 the school was moved to a new site near the bridge on The Butts built and donated by a parishioner, Mr George Lawson. By 1815, at the time of the Battle of Waterloo, a Mr Wanless was schoolmaster and taught the children their letters for £7 per annum. Mr Richard Downey taught the children to sing for £1 per annum. Writing was taught to 'those who had conducted themselves well' for 10s. Teachers' salaries thus amounted to £8.10s. per annum. In 1819 the departure of the Vicar to be headmaster of Westminster School inspired fresh developments. Sixty farmers and gentry subscribed to make the school a day school. Mr. Wanless was sent to learn a system of mass education, invented by a Dr Bell, for use in Madras for teaching Indian children. His salary was increased to £40, and a schoolmistress, Mrs McGee, was appointed to teach the girls sewing for £25. Prices of some articles at around this time were: mens’ coarse shirts, 5d; ladies' night-caps with double border, 4d; frocks, stitched and tucked, 1s; pocket handkerchiefs, ½d.

To accommodate this new school the Duke granted a site next door on The Butts for a boys' schoolroom, together with the necessary stone. The building was completed in 3½ months and cost £400. Later, in 1852, wings were added on either side to provide a girls' schoolroom and an infants' room. Children were admitted by nomination; subscribers of a guinea were entitled to nominate one child. In 1829 it was ruled that each child pay one penny per week. There was an elaborate system of rewards and punishments: rewards for 'constancy at church and school, clean hands, face and hair'; punishments for 'not minding the teacher, cruelty to human being or brute creation, telling lies or stealing'.

Both these former schools are now private dwellings. The present school building, on Guilden Road, is a Church of England (Aided) First School and was dedicated by the Bishop of Newcastle in May 1971 and an extension was opened in 2010.

11 6

Key Dates up to the 20th Century

737 AD First record of Saxon Church – wooden building.

9th/10th century Church - stone foundations.

1132/1140 AD present Church built.

1200 AD Tower to below belfry level.

13th/14th century Buttressing to north wall. Vestry added. 14th century Belfry & Spire added.

15th century south aisle & porch with parvise above added.

1710 Altar rails installed.

1860 Major refurbishment & alterations to roof.

1904 New heating system installed & vestry roof renewed.

1947 South aisle pews removed. Floor laid in Caithness stone.

1948 New drainage system round churchyard.

1962 Trees removed from churchyard. Headstones placed around perimeter walls.

1966 Rewiring of nave & chancel.

1972 First sound system installed.

1980 Rewiring of south aisle.

1983 Overhaul of organ.

1990/1998 Restoration of stained glass windows.

A Walk Round the Church Interior

Please refer to plan on page 15 Starting in the middle of the spacious South Aisle (A), built by the Percys in the 15th century, note the original beams; also the floor of Caithness stone which was laid in 1947.

The colonnade of pillars is built on the foundations of the original Norman wall. Masons' marks, which identify their individual work, are visible here and elsewhere in the building. At the top of the east window in front of you are the only pieces of medieval glass which have survived. There are dedications to St Hilda of Whitby and St Mildred of Kent. The Lady Chapel (B) Below the window on the right are two piscinae (sinks for washing the communion vessels) indicating the position of former altars, probably of Percy Chapels.

Passing the Font (C) look towards the Pulpit (D) which contains some beautiful panels, the work of a 20th century artist, Mr Alfred Southwick: 1. St Lawrence, the Patron Saint of the Church, blessing the poor. 2. St Cuthbert setting out for Coquet Island to meet the Abbess of Whitby. 3. Ceolwulf, the King Founder entering Lindisfarne. 4. St Hilda of Whitby. 5. Benedict Biscop the first Abbot of Wearmouth.

5 12

Scottish Raids Saturday, July 13th 1174 was a black day in the history of Warkworth. Duncan, Earl of Fife, accompanying the Scottish King William the Lion, entered Warkworth, set fire to the town and put to death three hundred of its inhabitants who had taken refuge within the walls of the church. Harry Hotspur In the course of time Warkworth passed into the hands of the Percy family. The young warrior, Harry Hotspur, spent his youth here and attended the church. He is mentioned in Shakespeare's Henry IV Part 2 and two scenes are set in Warkworth Castle. The Jacobite Rising, 1715 Warkworth has the doubtful honour of being the first market town in England in which James Stuart, the Old Pretender, was proclaimed King. This happened on Sunday morning, October 9th, when the rebel forces, having arrived here from over the border under General Forster, called upon the Reverend William Ion, the Vicar of Warkworth, to pray for the Pretender at Morning Prayer. On his refusing to do this, the Chaplain of the Old Pretender read the morning service from the Book of Common Prayer, and preached a rousing sermon which heartened the General so much that he forthwith drew up his troops in the Market Place and proclaimed James III as King. 'It was done by the sound of the trumpet, and all the formality that the circumstances and the place would admit’. Another record states that the rebels promised 12d a day to all persons joining them, except ‘only the Presbyterians, whom they expressly excluded from that honour’. John Wesley On Saturday, May 16th 1761 John Wesley tells us he was staying at Alnwick when he received a message to come over to Warkworth. A carriage was sent for him and he preached to a 'quiet and attentive congregation'. In many churches Wesley was refused permission to speak but it was evidently not so in Warkworth. The church could hold a very big congregation. The parish included Amble, Acklington and Chevington and these parishioners occupied a special gallery erected at the west end. The pulpit in those days was set against the first pillar, with the hour-glass which we still possess, fixed to it. Later in the day Wesley crossed over the river and visited the Hermitage.

Restoration and Improvements in the 21st Century

2001/3 Installed a new Gas Central Heating System. Installed a new Sound System including a Hearing Loop. Created a Ramp for disabled access through the south door. Fitted new oak Outer Doors to porch. Reordered Altar and Altar rails for more inclusive worship.

2005 Re-laid the floor at the Crossing and Lady Chapel. Re-sited Pulpit to improve sight lines from the nave to the altar. Removed and rebuilt the Rose Window. Priest’s Door access (and emergency exit) made safe. Installed new External Lighting over E-W public footpath.

2006 Re-pointed Spire & Upper Tower. Water deflecting Hoppers fitted inside Lucarnes (openings).

2009 Built No 3 and No 4 Stone Buttresses against North Wall on 22metre piles.

Underpinned and strengthened 14th century No 2 Buttress. Wall-head beam between old No 2 and new No 3 Buttresses. Remedial work to consequential damage to south aisle roof and all 15th Century timbers treated against decay. Re-sited the Font at the crossing for more inclusive baptisms. Raised the floor of the Chantry to eliminate a step.

2010 Built a Servery in the Chantry for refreshments after services and during social and fundraising events.

Rearranged the lower tower to create a toilet suitable for disabled use and a mezzanine floor above it for storage.

Installed modern blower unit under the organ.

If you would like to help us to continue our efforts to preserve the Church of St Lawrence for future generations,

please consider becoming a Friend of Warkworth Church and ‘gift aiding’ your subscription.

Contact us via our website: www.stlawrence-church.org.uk

13 4

St Lawrence (AD 225 – 258) is the Patron Saint of Warkworth Parish Church

After the death of Pope Sixtus II in AD 258, the Prefect of Rome demanded that Lawrence hand over the riches of the Church. It is said that Lawrence asked for three days to gather together the wealth. Lawrence worked swiftly to distribute to the poor as much Church property as possible, so as to prevent its being seized by the Prefect. On the third day, at the head of a small delegation, he returned to the Prefect, and presented the poor, the crippled, the blind and the suffering, saying that these were the true treasures of the Church. This act of defiance led directly to his martyrdom. Tradition holds that Lawrence was burned or grilled to death, hence his association with the gridiron. Lawrence is said to have joked whilst he was lying on the gridiron ‘turn me over ... I'm done on this side’. However, one longstanding scholarly theory holds that the story of the gridiron arose from a scribe's incorrect transcription of passus est (‘he suffered’, that is, was martyred) as assus est (‘he was roasted’).

The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence from the Howliston Window behind the Pulpit

Danish Raids This first church, probably wooden, is unlikely to have survived the Danish raids in the next century. Even today the beach near the mouth of the River Coquet is called Birling, the Danish for longships. In 875, the year when the monks fled from Lindisfarne with St Cuthbert's body, ‘Halfdene, the Danish King, pitched his camp on the Tyne and cruelly wasted the land from sea to sea.....’ The next church was of stone, and its foundations have been traced beneath the present Chancel Arch; a small cross marks the spot where the altar stood (see plan on page 15). In 2008, when an investigative trench was dug, prior to building buttress number 4 against the north wall, some foundations were discovered which are believed to be those of a side chapel of this pre-conquest church. They were protected to prevent damage when piling was carried out for the new buttress. Sir Richard of the Golden Valley In 1120, Henry I gave the churches of Warkworth, Whittingham, Rothbury and Corbridge to his Chaplain, Richard de Aurea Valle. On his death, these four churches were endowed to the newly formed Diocese of Carlisle and remained so until Newcastle became a Diocese in 1882. The Present Norman Church Norman churches were built not only as places of worship but also as refuges in time of danger and our church is an example of this. Built in 1132/1140 it consisted of a Chancel with a stone roof and the Nave, a long narrow space enclosed by immensely thick stone walls. The windows, set high in the walls, were mere slits which kept out the enemy and the weather. There was little glass in those days. The church must have been a comfortless place with an earthen floor, little light and no seats; but it sheltered the altar and the people. In the 15th century the south wall was opened up to include a colonnade of pillars allowing the aisle to be built.

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Welcome to St Lawrence Church, Warkworth As you walk around this building, remember that you are treading in the steps of countless worshippers, pilgrims and tourists who came to this holy place before you. We hope that you will enjoy your visit to our beautiful old church and find the peace and refreshment that you seek.

A Short History of the Church

The name Warkworth appeared in Anglo-Saxon history during the twelfth century as Wercewode. Werce was the name of an Abbess who gave a sheet of fine linen to the Venerable Bede to be used as his shroud. The word ‘wode’ or ‘worth’ means a palisaded enclosure. A Saxon Church A church has stood on this site for almost thirteen centuries. In AD 737 the first historical record reports that the King of Northumbria gave Wercewode, with the Church of St Lawrence, to the Abbot and monks of Holy Island. The King's name was Ceolwulf and it was to him that Bede dedicated his History. Two years after Bede's death, Ceolwulf entered Lindisfarne as a monk; this is depicted in the central panel of the Pulpit.

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