At Hawkshead Parish Church

 

Hawkshead Parish Church (St. Michael's and All Angels) stands proudly at the summit of Hawkshead village.

Have just read that the oldest parts of the church date back to the 12th century, with the length of the present church being established in about 1300, and further additions and changes occurring over the following centuries.

Outside Hawkshead Parish Church, you can look down towards Hawkshead village like a bird in a big tree:

And see the surrounding hills and mountains in the distance:

Have just read that it's possible to get good views of Esthwaite Water; Claife Heights; Latterbarrow; Helvellyn; and the Langdales from the Hawkshead Parish Church perch.

Like all the Hawkshead Grammar School students, Wordsworth attended church services at St. Michael's and the Angels.

Have just discovered that Wordsworth penned a few lines of affection about Hawkshead Parish Church in his epic Prelude, published shortly after his death in 1850:

      "I saw the snow-white church upon her hill

          Sit like a throned lady sending out

        A gracious look all over her domain".

Have just started skimming The Prelude (1850) which looks incredibly interesting, especially a section in SCHOOL-TIME (Continued) in BOOK SECOND which reads:

                    "When summer came, 

      Our pastime was, on bright half-holidays,

      To sweep along the plain of Windemere

      With rival oars ...

      And now a third island, where survived

      In solitude, the ruins of a shrine

      Once to Our Lady dedicate, and served

      Daily with chaunted rites ..."

As a Catholic, I'm absolutely fascinated by such lines. I kind of remember that Wordsworth was inclined towards High Church Anglicanism.

Have just read that in 1842, a pamphlet was published, 'Contributions of William Wordsworth to the Revival of Catholic Truths', which pointed towards Wordsworth's life and poetry reflecting the ideals of the Oxford Movement (High Church Anglicanism/Anglo-Catholicism).

In Wordsworth and 'Catholic Truth': the role of Frederick William Faber, Stephen Gill (1994) believes that Wordsworth's close friendship with Faber, who converted to (Roman) Catholicism in 1844, may suggest that Wordsworth came close to becoming Catholic himself. However, Gill (1994) also emphasises that Wordsworth broke his friendship with Faber over the latter's conversion to Catholicism.

Of course, I must read more about Wordsworth's connection with High Church Anglicanism and the degree of his flirtation with (Roman) Catholicism.

Find it amazing that some reflections upon my visit to Hawkshead Parish Church have lead me back to a kind of distant interest in Wordsworth's flirtation with Catholicism. Many years ago, I saw that Wordsworth devoted some poetry to Alpine Catholic shrines, must look into this again.

And Hawkshead Parish Church is a great place to visit. It was a pity that we arrived in Hawkshead too late to take a look around inside the place.