Church Of St Cuthbert

Church of St Cuthbert, Forcett

A church of 12th-century origin, substantially rebuilt in 1859, with a 13th-century tower. The building is constructed of sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings and a Westmorland slate roof. It comprises a west tower, a nave with a north aisle and south porch, a chancel with a north vestry, and is set within the parish of Forcett and Carkin.

The tower rises in three-and-a-half stages with the lowest stage set relatively near ground level, forming a kind of basement. It has a plinth and quoins, with round-arched vents on the ground and first stages. The belfry opening consists of two segmental-pointed-arched lights beneath a monolithic lintel, divided by a shaft with small volutes on the capital. The tower has battlemented parapets and features a lancet window with hoodmould on the west side of the ground floor. A square-plan stair turret occupies the north-east corner, with a matching belfry opening on the north side. An octagonal clock within a moulded frame is set on the east side.

The south porch has diagonal buttresses and incorporates a late 12th-century Romanesque doorway of two orders with waterleaf capitals to the shafts. Above this is a light vent, and the coping carries a gable cross. A light vent is positioned in the left side. An inner doorway of early 12th-century date, much restored, displays two orders with a zigzag motif on the outer order and a reeded archivolt.

The porch is notably rich in reused medieval and Anglo-Saxon carved stones. These include carved tombstones, an Anglo-Saxon cross, and various other carved pieces. Within a hollow-chamfered pointed arch with stop chamfers, set in a recess in the east side, stands a worn 14th-century recumbent effigy of a priest in mass vestments. The rear wall contains a medieval tombstone carved with a foliate cross and shears, an Anglo-Saxon cross-head, and a stone carved with beasts. The bench tables are seated with medieval tombstones, and the west wall holds a medieval tombstone with a pattee cross on a stepped base, also with shears. Two additional Anglo-Saxon carved stones appear on the outside of the porch, on its east side.

The nave has end buttresses and lancet windows with sill strings—one to the west of the porch and two to the east, the latter pair forming a paired lancet window with a buttress to its left. The ashlar coping carries a gable cross at the east end.

The north aisle has four bays of lancet windows divided by buttresses, with windows of two segmental-pointed-arched lights and an oculus above at the west and east ends.

The chancel comprises two bays but has only one window, positioned towards the west end, with two lights and Decorated tracery and hoodmould. The coping carries a gable cross. The east end has panelled corner buttresses terminating in finials (one was missing at the time of the survey) and a four-light east window with reticulated tracery.

The north vestry has a pointed-arched doorway with hoodmould and an octagonal ashlar chimney. Its east window has two segmental-arched trefoiled lights with hoodmould.

The interior features an Early English-style four-bay north arcade with circular columns, a tower arch, and a chancel arch. The roof carpentry is richly carved, particularly in the chancel, and the building contains elaborate fittings. These include chancel panelling, choir stalls, and an altar rail, as well as a pulpit, reading desk, and pews of similar quality in the nave.

On the west side above the chancel arch, the Ten Commandments are painted on a thin slab. The church contains many good wall monuments, including a matching pair to members of the Michell family: one to John Michell (died 1766) and his family on the north wall, and another to Charles Michell (died 1841) of Forcett Hall and his family on the south wall. The north wall of the aisle carries a monument to William Clark of Barforth Hall (died 1833) by Websters of Kendal. On the south wall of the nave is a monument with a sarcophagus to James Shuttleworth, Member of Parliament, who died in 1783.

Below this is a fine brass to Mrs Anne Underhill, formerly Shuttleworth, who died in 1637. It depicts a round-arched vault supported on columns with "Labour" and "Rest" inscribed on the capitals, and the deceased in an attitude of prayer on the floor beneath. A further brass monument to Anne's son, Nicholas Shuttleworth of Forcett, armiger, who died in 1666, carries a Latin inscription.