St Mark's Church and School

[curiouswombat]

Another post in my very occasional series looking at the churches of the island. It was a nice afternoon on Tuesday, and my travels took me through St Marks.

St Mark's is a tiny village in the mid-south of the island. Although in the parish of Malew, the farms in this area are a long way from the parish church (of which, more, in a day or two), and so a 'chapel of ease' was built for them and consecrated in 1772.

Like most of the other country churches, it is stone built, white-washed, and very plain - if you remember some of the other posts it will look familiar;



More pictures, including a couple of the village school

Here is the interior -



Originally it was designed to hold 200 people - it must have been a very tight squeeze! Although I suppose you could cram quite a few into the organ loft. It is unusual, now, in that some of the pews have been removed, in the middle, and replaced by chairs - I would guess this makes the space more adaptable. At the very back, beside the door, is a half pew n which sits a hot water urn, and there were a couple of boxes underneath - so I guess they make tea after the service on Sundays.

As usual the only decoration is the single stained glass window over the altar at the East end of the church.





My eye was caught by this plaque on the west wall -




I especially like the last line...

I was also very taken with this small piece of art, which stood on a small table beside the lectern. It is only about a foot long -





I seem to have missed the lectern itself - but it was very plain dark wood.

It might have been bright, but it was cold, and I really didn't see any particularly interesting headstones in the grave-yard worth taking pictures of.

The only other large structure in the hamlet is the school house which, you can see by the gravestones, stands right beside the church -



The school is no longer in use. But the master's house, on the left, is now a private residence.

Here is a closer look at the entrance to the school -



On the whole it is in good condition, and a good design as the door clearly opens into a porch where coats and boots could be kept, with another door through into the classroom, so giving something of an 'airlock' in winter - and the single class room has big windows to let in a lot of natural light, as you can see in the first picture of the school.

Rather a modern design for its day, I would think.



Yes - that stone above the door tells us that St Mark's National School was built in 1815. Before that I presume there was either an older building, or the children had to walk to the bigger village of Ballasalla three or four miles away.

There may have been an older building, as education at 'petty school' level was made compulsory in 1672 when Charles Earl of Derby was Lord of Man. Mind you it wasn't necessarily a very good education, and it did a great deal to lessen the role of Manx as the children were to be taught to read English; but in this it was no different to Wales, Scotland, or the Gaelic areas of Ireland - it was considered to be in the best interests of the children to teach them English.






I actually have pictures of Malew church as well - they are interesting because whilst, in some ways Melew is quite similar to St Marks, and most of the other small churches, in some ways it is quite different.

Totally unrelated - I have spent so much time this week reviewing and developing 'pathways' that I told my manager I am doubtless well qualified to join The Ramblers Association...

Comments

[clodia-metelli.livejournal.com]

It looks like such a comfortable, sensible church. Do these types of churches have the same horrible issues with stonework and general upkeep as typical old churches do over here?

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Most of them are in fairly good shape - although a couple have had structural problems over the years, and the bishop and the diocesan council would like to shut some of them as the congregations are small and there is a need for regular upkeep.

But, practically, they were built using the same materials and techniques as the farm houses round about them and so no specialists were needed to maintain them.

I think my favourite is probably Bride -with its high arched ceiling and the blue starry sky above the altar;

(http://s4.photobucket.com/user/curiouswombat/media/Churches%20and%20Crosses/Bridechurchinterior.jpg.html)

[mummy-owl.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful, simply designed wee church :-) I prefer the atmosphere in these to the overly gilded and ornamented places.

We have a lot of old (16th and 17thC) village churches around here, some with very old painted scenes on the walls but others which were 'added to' in the 18th and 19th centuries - massive gilded alterpieces which look totally out of place :-(

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Our village churches are mainly very plain like this one - even ones with painting, like Lezayre (http://curiouswombat.livejournal.com/240846.html) are remarkably plain.

I do love some of the ornate churches in England - and York Minster is one of my favourite places - but these plain little churches are very dear to me, too.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Very cozy looking church.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is, isn't it? I still wonder how they thought, when they built it, that they could squeeze 200 people in it, though - I reckon it must feel pretty full with 50!

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I especially like the beamed roof inside. And the entire church's simplicity is charming.
The Last Supper caring is very nice. I wonder if that's olive wood. It looks like the right colour and grain, at least on the figures.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Our churches almost all have simple wooden beam roofs - no beautiful stone arches. But they do have their own beauty. Some of them feel as if you are under an upturned fishing boat!

I'm sure you are right about the carving - there was nothing to say where it was from, but it might well be the sort of thing someone might bring back from a pilgrimage in the past 20 or 30 years, and olive wood would be right for either The Holy Land or Santiago de Compostela, wouldn't it?

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I have seen many carved olive wood carved objects and yes, they make lovely souvenirs from both places you mention. The one in your photo is especially fine.It is a very hard wood to carve, full of knots and a grain that goes every which way. But it's so beautiful.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

I think the church is lovely, but I really like the school. I'd love to turn it into a house.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I am surprised that no-one has - but it may be covenanted to prevent that.

It would make a good nursery, I think, otherwise.

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

Great photos. That last supper carving doesn't look English - more of an Italian design perhaps? I wonder if someone brought it back from somewhere? I love the stained glass - must have been outrageously expensive!!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I wondered that, too. Pondhopper agrees it looks like olive wood, and might well have been brought back by someone on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or, perhaps, Santiago de Compostela.

Many of the small churches managed to get together enough money for one stained glass window, there above the altar - with plain glass in all the others.

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Lovely little church. The round globe hanging lights a la 1960 seems a little mod but what a fantastic Last Supper carving. Love the school doorway and window.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It is quite likely that the electric lights were only put in about then - it took a while to reach some of the smaller hamlets.

The carving is really beautiful, isn't it?

The school house must have been quite a modern design in its day, I think.

[(Anonymous)]

Simplicity is best and the splash of colour added by the stained glass windows just makes it work all the better.

I have seen the starry sky ceiling in a lot of churches.

Raining, again, yay!

Huggs,
Lynda

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I think it is only Bride, here, that has the starry sky - and possibly one of the Catholic churches - I vaguely think Our lady Star of the Sea, in Ramsey, might have a similar one.

Hurrah for you having rain, too!

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

A very charming small church. And that school entrance has character.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Our parish churches are all rather similar - and rather plain! But I do rather like them.

The school is a nice building - it must have been quite modern in its day.

[sulien.livejournal.com]

Thank you for photographing these places and describing them, I am really enjoying your posts! I have always enjoyed exploring and you give me an opportunity to do so when I can't actually get to the location.

The School Master's residence looks like it would be a pretty nifty place to live. Old houses are a weakness of mine and if I ever hit the lottery, I'm likely to find a beautiful old place in need of some fixing up and have it restored.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Being given guided tours of some interesting places is one of the best things about LJ I reckon; I'm glad you find my small island to be amongst the interesting places!

The Schoolmaster's house does look nice - but it must be odd to have that empty school house right beside you. I do wonder why no-one has snatched it up and converted it already.

[makd.livejournal.com]

I like this church - plain, strong, steady. The stonework is just wonderful.

Thanks for sharing.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

These small, solid, stone and whitewash churches are so much a part of our landscape - and very well suited to it, when I stop to think of it!