The Churches of the South Lakes Area

Brathay – Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity Church at Brathay was built in the Italianate style by the Redmaynes of Brathay Hall, at the head of Windermere, and consecrated in 1836. Within the graveyard are some ornate tombs of members of the Redmayne family which are worth looking at. The church has an unusual and impressive ivy covered facade. The Redmaynes made their fortune in the Italian silk trade, which may explain the style of the Church.

Because of the lie of the land the Church lies in a north south direction, rather than the usual east west direction. It has an open nave, without any pillars, and a lovely arched wooden ceiling from which lights on long chains hang.

There are some interesting stained glass windows depicting many of the early saints, including St Hilda with a small replica of an abbey (above), and St Cecilia with a musical instrument, by Shrigley and Hunt. The East window, by Powell of Whitefriars, shows St George, Christ and St Alban.

Coniston – St Andrew’s Church

Location: Coniston

St Andrew’s Church was built in 1819, designed by J.Matson. It replaced an earlier church of 1586 built by William Le Fleming. The chancel and the low bays were added in 1891. The Baptistry West window of St Andrew has stained glass by Charles Kempe.

Many of the features in the Church worthy of mention refer back to the patrons and benefactors of Coniston – the Le Fleming family, who built Coniston Hall in 1270, and who have remained there until recent times, and the Barratt family who established themselves in Coniston in the 1820’s to develop the copper mines.

In the churchyard is the grave of John Ruskin, who died at Brantwood of influenza on 20 Jan 1900. His grave is marked with a large carved cross made from green slate from the local quarry at Tilberthwaite. It was carved by H.T. Miles, to a design by W.G. Collingwood, who was an expert on Anglo-Saxon crosses, with symbols depicting important aspects of Ruskin’s work and life.

Far Sawrey – St Peter’s Church

Location: Far Sawrey

The building of this large Victorian Church was completed in 1869 to a design by Robert Brass. The Church is in the style of early English Gothic, and is built mainly of local slate rubble with sandstone dressings.

The Church was built to seat 400 people, as many large houses were being built at the time, all of which had servants who were expected to attend services with their families. Some of the pews have since been removed.

There are various stained glass windows worth looking at including one with St Miriam playing the timbrel, and St Cecilia playing the organ. This window was installed in 1914. The music in the window is said to be from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. The extremely colourful East window displays Christ the Good Shepherd. In it you may see the proverbial ‘black sheep’, hidden from the flock. The lecturn is in the form of an eagle, surmounting the world globe

Wordsworth’s Grave – St Oswald’s Church

Location: Grasmere

image of st oswald's church in grasmere where william wordsworth is buried

William Wordsworth is buried in the churchyard in the centre of Grasmere village. The Church is named after St Oswald, a 7th Century Christian King of Northumberland, who is said to have preached on this site. It is the parish church of Grasmere, Rydal and Langdale, and each township has its own separate gate into the churchyard.

The 13th century nave holds several memorials, including several to the Le Fleming family of Rydal Hall, but the one most people come to see is that of William Wordsworth. The North aisle, almost as big as the nave, was added in 1490 for the residents of Langdale.

The East window is clear and gives superb views of the fells beyond. There is a statue of the Madonna and Child by Ophelia Bell, who married local artist William Heaton Cooper in this Church. The pews are made of oak, and date from 1881. There is a glass case near the organ, containing Wordsworth’s prayer book.

In 1850 William caught a cold on a country walk, and he died on 23 April, St George’s day, 80 years after his birth. He and Mary who died 9 years later have a simple tombstone in the churchyard of St Oswald’s Church, now one of the most visited literary shrines in the world.

William Wordsworth planted eight of the yew trees in the churchyard, and one of them marks the grave of him and his wife Mary. Nearby are buried his sister Dorothy, his children Dora, William, Thomas and Catherine, Mary’s sister Sara Hutchinson, and other members of the family. There is also the grave of Hartley Coleridge, eldest son of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Great Langdale (Chapel Stile) – Holy Trinity Church

Location: Great Langdale / Grasmere

Holy Trinity Church stands at the foot of Silver How, looking out over the village of Chapel Stile, with the slate quarries in the distance. The present Church was built in 1857-8 to a design by Cory and Ferguson of Carlisle. The style is decorated Gothic, prominent throughout Britain in the 14th Century, and a favourite style with the Victorian neo-gothic revivalists. Before the Church was built, services took place in Grasmere,

The Church is built of local slate, a metamorphic grey-green rock of hard, enduring quality. Contrasting sandstone was chosen for the window surrounds and architraves.

The Church contains several stained glass windows, which whilst not being exceptional, are typical of the period. Most of the windows are by the London firm of Burlison and Grylls. The St Francis window was designed and made by Mr and Mrs Dean Walmsley in their Great Langdale studio in 1937-38. It contains hand-blown glass of exceptional clarity, transmitting light and colour into the Church on a bright day. The centre panel shows St Francis surrounded by the living things he loved, in a Langdale setting – a red squirrel, house martins, robins, rabbits, oak trees, stone buildings and a stream.

Hawkshead – St Michael & All Angels’ Church

Location: Hawkshead

St Michael & All Angels Church stands high looking out over the village of Hawkshead, and having fine views to Esthwaite Water, Claife Heights, Latterbarrow, Helvellyn and the Langdales. William Wordsworth, who went to school in Hawkshead, liked to sit at the top of the churchyard.

The Church is thought to have been built in 1500, the oldest part being the tower which has eight bells. The interior is surprisingly large, and has many interesting features. The nave is 70 feet long, with north and south isles, and the huge pillars support large round arches which are decoratively painted.

In the churchyard is the tall and beautiful War memorial, erected in 1919, and designed by W.G. Collingwood. He based the design on the ancient runic cross of about 1000 A.D. at Gosforth.

Rydal – St Mary’s Church

Location: Rydal

image of the exterior of St Mary's Church at Rydal in the Lake District

The chapel of St Mary was built by Lady le Fleming, of Rydal Hall in 1824. William Wordsworth helped to choose the site, which was originally an orchard. The gallery in the church was reserved for the private use of the le Fleming family.

William Wordsworth and his family, who lived at nearby Rydal Mount, and the Arnold Family from Fox How, worshipped here. Their family pews are on each side of the aisle at the front of the church. Wordsworth was church warden from 1833-1834, and there is a memorial plaque to him.

Inside there are many memorials and plaques to people with local connections. The four stained glass windows are memorials and are worth studying. One of the South windows is by Henry Holiday (1891) and commemorates the two Quillinan step-daughters of Dora Wordsworth.

Troutbeck – Jesus Church

Location: Troutbeck

The origin of this Church is lost, but it certainly existed in 1506. Instead of the usual dedication to a patron saint, it has the unusual name of ‘Jesus Church’. The whole Church was dismantled and rebuilt in 1736, and a major restoration took place in 1861. The massive beams are almost certainly from the original Church. Also remaining from the original is the tiny three light window in the tower. In the gallery hang the Coat of Arms of George II, painted on wood in 1737.

The East window always attracts the attention of visitors. It is remarkably large for a comparatively small building, and is very light and colourful. The glass was mostly designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and made by William Morris & Co. William Morris was responsible for the design of the greenery in the window. Some of the details are the work of Ford Madox Brown. Local tradition has it that William Morris and Ford Madox Brown came to Troutbeck on a fishing holiday while Burne-Jones was working on the window, and they stayed to assist him. Burne-Jones also designed one of the windows in the nave.

The Churchyard is notable for its yew trees, its three lych gates, and the war memorial cross consisting of a single slab of Lakeland stone.

St Martin’s Church – Bowness on Windermere

Location: Bowness-on-Windermere

St Martin's Church, Bowness on Windemere

St Martin’s Church is the parish Church of Bowness, and was built in 1483, with various alterations, including the restoration of 1870, when the Church was enlarged by Paley and Austin. Wall paintings in the Chancel and on the West wall date from that time, as does a comprehensive decorative scheme throughout the whole Church. The outstanding feature is the East window, and it is of credit to the Victorian restorers that when the Chancel was built, the famous glass, some dating from the 15th Century, was skilfully renovated.

A comprehensive Church booklet, with a cover drawing of the Church by A. Wainwright, describes in detail a walk round the Church, giving details of objects of interest. These include a 13th Century font, a statue of St Martin, an ancient oak chest from the 17th Century, ancient books ,George III’s Royal Coat of Arms, a marble reredos by Paley and Austin, and many interesting stained glass windows.

From the front, looking back towards the tower, on the spandrels, or spaces between the arches, are eight black letter inscriptions probably put there about 1600. They are questions and answers taken from a book by Robert Openshaw in 1548.

Windermere – St Mary’s Church

Location: Windermere / Bowness-on-Windermere

St Mary’s church has a complicated history. Hardly anything remains of the original chapel of 1848. A south aisle with round arches was added in 1852, a north aisle with pointed arches (by Crowther) added in 1857, a nave west extension added in 1861, a north transept (by Crowther) added in 1871, and finally the chancel, the tower, and the west end by Paley and Austin added in 1881-2. The church was restored after a fire in 1988.

There are many stained glass windows, all by different artists, including the five light East window – ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ by Burlison and Grylls.

The four light West window is of Gabriel, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St Elizabeth. The detail above is the Coat of arms of Henry Crewdson Broadrick d.1950.

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