St Oswald Got About A Bit!

staggeringman · 04-05-2005, 18:09

WENT FOR A RUN IN THE COUNTRY OVER YORKSHIRE WAY AND WENT THROUGH HORTON IN RIBBLESDALE,came across a church thought to myself that looks interesting and pulled over,it was a norman church called st oswalds so i enquired if it was oswald the king of cumbria? yes it was!king oswald must have had a massive following in the north of england for so many churches to be dedicated to him,is there anyone out there know of any other churches dedicated to him? i know that st james up church kirk had a well dedicated to him and owaldtwistle was named after him. heres a few piccies of a norman church.
picture 1.shows the tower and church.
2shows the original styles they had to get through or over to enter the church.
3.shows modern and old means of entry.
4.the doorway and entrance typical norman the door is aged approx 900 years if you can see the grooves in the stone at the side of the door these may have beeen caused by the archers sharpening thier arrows.the door was unusual in itself being hinged in the middle which is rare to see on something that old.

Billcat · 04-05-2005, 18:59

Thanks! Interesting bit of history and some nice pics, too!

Bazf · 05-05-2005, 02:47

The Venerable Bede (III, 6) says that Oswald had a greater dominion than any of his ancestors, and that "he brought under his sway all the nations and provinces of Britain, which are divided into four languages, namely the Britons, the Picts, the Scots, and the English". He had great power in the North-West, as far south as Chester and Lancashire, and was probably owned as overlord by the Welsh Kingdom of Strath Clyde, as well as by the Picts and Scots of Dalriada. In the East he was supreme in Lindsey, and the words of Bede seem to imply that he was overlord of Mercia, which was still ruled by Penda; but this could have been scarcely more than nominal.
At the battle of Maserfeld, said to be seven miles from Shrewsbury, "on the border of Wales, near Offa's dyke", Oswald was slain on 5 Aug., 642, and thus perished "the most powerful and most Christian King" in the eighth year of his reign and in the flower of his age. His last words were for the spiritual welfare of his soldiers, whence the proverb: "God have mercy on their souls, as said Oswald when he fell." His body was mutilated by Penda, and his limbs set up on stakes, where they remained a full year, until they were taken away by Oswy and given to the monks at Bardney in Lindsey. In the tenth century some of the bones were carried off by Ethelred and Ethelfleda of Mercia to St. Peter's, Gloucester. His head was taken from the battlefield to the church of St. Peter in the royal fortress at Bamborough, and was afterwards translated to Lindisfarne, where, for fear of the Danes, it was placed in 875 in the coffin of St. Cuthbert, which found its resting place at Durham in 998. It was in the coffin at the translation of St. Cuthbert in 1104, and was thought to be there when the tomb was opened in 1828. His arm and hand (or hands) were taken to Bamborough and perhaps afterwards removed to Peterborough, and were still incorrupt in the time of Symeon of Durham, early in the twelfth century. Reginald gives an account of his personal appearance: arms of great length and power, eyes bright blue, hair yellow, face long and beard thin, and his small lips wearing a kindly smile.

WillowTheWhisp · 05-05-2005, 07:17

Great photos and fascinating bit of history. Incidentally the reason why his arm was still "incorrupt" when it was moved about 600 years after his death was because St. Aidan had blessed him that his arm would be powerful and incorruptable and this didn't only have effect during his lofetime but that arm continued to "survive" even when the rest of him didn't!

That "new" entrance to the churchyard itself looks fairly old with the big stone on top. That must weigh a ton.

Doug · 05-05-2005, 08:52

Nice photos Staggers, The shot of the church with Pen-y-gent in the background is brilliant. I spend a lot of time walking in that neck of the woods, but I have yet to spend time at the church., maybe next week I’ll make a special trip……cheers.

staggeringman · 05-05-2005, 18:26

here is a couple of photos showing the inside of the unusual door which is hinged in the middle and the other showing the font which i found unbelieveable, never seen one this big before you could bath in it!

staggeringman · 05-05-2005, 18:30

it is said that oswald became a christian whilst living with monks on the isle of iona,and established christianity in the north of england in 634ad.