St Cuthbert's Church, Dufton

St Cuthbert's Church, Dufton
St Cuthbert's Church, Dufton Location in Cumbria
Coordinates: 54°37′48″N 2°29′23″W / 54.6299°N 2.4897°W / 54.6299; -2.4897
Location	Dufton, Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Church
Administration
Parish	Dufton
Deanery	Appleby-in-Westmorland
Archdeaconry	Carlisle
Diocese	Carlisle
Province	York
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Rev Sarah Lunn

St Cuthbert's Church is situated 0.7 miles North of the village of Dufton, Cumbria, England. Not to be confused with nearby St Cuthbert's church, Milburn. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Appleby, the archdeaconry of Carlisle, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with those of ten local churches to form the benefice of Heart of Eden.

The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, Dufton, is situated three quarters of a mile north-west of the village of Dufton - the name of which means 'dove farm' - and nestles beneath the eastern fells above the Eden Valley, about three miles north of Appleby and twelve miles south-east of Penrith. From the new churchyard, fine views are to be had of Dufton Pike and the Pennines.

The old churchyard is curvilinear, indicating a Celtic foundation. 'Old Dufton', the site of a settlement on the fell above Dufton, has been identified as Romano-British. The first mention of 'the manor of Dufton' occurs in the Pipe Rolls of 1176 and of the church itself in Papal Taxation Records of 1291.

Tradition has it that the original church was built on one of the sites where monks from Lindisfarne rested themselves and the body of St. Cuthbert during their flight from the Vikings in 865/6. Church records indicate a rector's presence in 1293, while the dedication to St. Cuthbert is referred to in 1366. However, the ornamental stones used in the rebuilding of the church, the two re-used round window-heads and the two voussoirs with chevron-ornament, reset in the north and south walls respectively, point to the existence of twelfth-century building. There is also evidence of earlier stonework : outside, in the south wall of the chancel, there is a small figure carved into a small stone panel which is thought to be of Roman origin, and set into the east wall of the nave is an ornamented medieval grave slab.

The walls of the present building are of sandstone rubble and ashlar with dressings of the same material ; the roofs are slate-covered. The interior is light and airy, with no chancel arch and a high canted ceiling with stucco panelling, spanning both nave and chancel. at the west end is a wooden-panelled gallery and underneath it a slim font.

Restorations took place in 1673, 1784 and 1853. The 1784 restoration, undertaken by the rector and people, appears to have included the building of the west tower, the re-building of the north wall, and perhaps the upper parts of other walls. The 1853 restoration seems to have determined to a great extent the present character of the building. In 1946, the roof and east end were rebuilt, and the old glass re-used in the new east window. In 1983, some south-side windows were re-leaded.