England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Torpenhow St Michael

The Parish

The parish of Torpenhow (Pevsner tells us it should be pronounced "Trepenna") lies in western Cumberland about 7 miles southwest of the market town of Wigton. Torpenhow is a long and linear village which sits a mile east of the A595 road which connects Wigton with Cockermouth. Most of Torpenhow village is built along an east to west running lane which connects Bothel with Ireby. Whilst a substantial portion of the parish residents would have lived within the village, the wider parish, dotted with farms and cottages would also have been well populated at the time of this transcript. The normal farming activities of the area, mainly pastoral, would have been supplemented by quarrying of the local free and limestone for local use. Torpenhow sits just to the south of the valley of the River Ellen which drains the parish westwards reaching the Irish Sea through Maryport. Torpenhow is sited at around 130 metres above the sea but to its south rise the fore-slopes of the Lake District National Park and the the first fell, Binsey rises to 443 metres and dominated views from Torpenhow to the south. Torpenhow parish was extensive, as are many in Cumberland, it covered almost 9,700 acres and would have supported a population of close to 1,100 parishioners. Domesday Book did not cover much of Cumberland if any and consequently Torpenhow is not mentioned in that tome.

The Church

St Michael's church sits at the eastern end of the run of properties that line the east to west running lane through the village, on its northern side and set back a little together with adjacent farm premises. Pevsner is clearly much impressed with St Michael which he describes as "one of the best of the Solway Plain". An ancient church from the 12th or even earlier century. Towerless and with the nave and chancel long and low the church is barn-like in its outward appearance, its age giving it outward leaning walls that convey deep history. The basic structure of nave, chancel and northern transept is largely Norman Romanesque in style but there has been modification over the centuries. 13th century windows indicate replacement whilst the northern wall of the north transept was clearly rebuilt at the same time. The western bellcote is a 17th century addition and the southern aisle, complete with battlements may be its contemporary. A restoration of the early 1880s was light an sensitive but the stripping of the walls Pevsner regards as unnecessary. It is internally, however, that is St Michael's greatest feature, the nave ceiling is a work of great beauty with almost monochrome painting of scenes of dancing cherubs, leafy faces etc, well worth a prolonged visit to admire. At the eastern end of the houses is a triangular area with parking outside the church grounds, gates grant entry through rough stone walls and lead to a climbing pathway to the churchyard which is open and with no obstacles to photography.