Ninekirks

Ninekirks is the local name for St Ninian's church, Brougham, Cumbria. Dedicated to Saint Ninian, it was formerly the Anglican parish church for Brougham, a parish which is now combined with Clifton, a neighbouring village. It is preserved as a redundant church for its architectural interest, and presents a mainly seventeenth-century appearance. It has been known as Ninekirks since at least 1583 (Bouch, 1950). ImportanceThe building is Grade I listed. It is one of very few churches to be built during the Commonwealth of England and has been altered very little. (Three other churches of this age are: Church of the Holy Trinity, Berwick-on-Tweed; St Matthias Old Church, London Borough of Tower Hamlets; and Staunton Harold, Leicestershire. )HistoryThe Romans built a fort at Brougham called Brocavum, situated near the confluence of the River Eamont and the River Eden. The Ninekirks site has been continuously occupied since at least Roman times (Simpson, 1958). Roman occupation of the site is demonstrated by the Ninekirks Hoard of barbarous radiate coins (Casey, 1978). As a Christian site, the area was associated with St. Ninian from a very early date (Lees, 1879) but "not everyone is convinced entirely by the arguments of Canon Bouch and others for Ninian" (Jones, 1973). There are caves nearby on the north bank of the Eamont at a site called Isis Parlis and possible evidence of occupation of these is used to support arguments in favour of early hermit use.

Ninekirks is the local name for St Ninian's church, Brougham, Cumbria. Dedicated to Saint Ninian, it was formerly the Anglican parish church for Brougham, a parish which is now combined with Clifton, a neighbouring village. It is preserved as a redundant church for its architectural interest, and presents a mainly seventeenth-century appearance. It has been known as Ninekirks since at least 1583 (Bouch, 1950). ImportanceThe building is Grade I listed. It is one of very few churches to be built during the Commonwealth of England and has been altered very little. (Three other churches of this age are: Church of the Holy Trinity, Berwick-on-Tweed; St Matthias Old Church, London Borough of Tower Hamlets; and Staunton Harold, Leicestershire. )HistoryThe Romans built a fort at Brougham called Brocavum, situated near the confluence of the River Eamont and the River Eden. The Ninekirks site has been continuously occupied since at least Roman times (Simpson, 1958). Roman occupation of the site is demonstrated by the Ninekirks Hoard of barbarous radiate coins (Casey, 1978). As a Christian site, the area was associated with St. Ninian from a very early date (Lees, 1879) but "not everyone is convinced entirely by the arguments of Canon Bouch and others for Ninian" (Jones, 1973). There are caves nearby on the north bank of the Eamont at a site called Isis Parlis and possible evidence of occupation of these is used to support arguments in favour of early hermit use.