Churches of The Lake District

The church buildings in the Lake District, often on ancient sites, are part of this landscape.  The have borne constant witness to the generations who have lived, worked and visited here, telling their stories in a unique way. 

An iconic landmark seen for miles around St Mary’s, Ambleside, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott it houses a memorial chapel to William Wordsworth, a statue of ‘Virgin and Child’ by internationally renowned artist Josephine de Vasconcellos and a unique wall painting of the ancient Rushbearing Ceremony.  With Bibles in 28 languages, St Bega’s, Bassenthwaite welcomes walkers and visitors from across the world to appreciate its beautiful setting on Bassenthwaite lake.  Named after St Oswald, a 7th century Christian king of Northumberland, the medieval church at Grasmere, is where Wordsworth worshipped and now rests.  Little has changed in 800 years in the late medieval, vernacular church of St Michael’s & All Angels, Hawkshead.  With superb views of the Lakeland hills from the outside and the internal imagery in the stained-glass windows by the pre-Raphaelite artist Henry Holliday St John’s, Keswick is full of beauty.  In 1826 William Wordsworth wrote of Newlands Church, Newlands Valley, ‘How delicate the leafy veil, through which yon house of God, gleams through the midst of this deep dale’ this description remains entirely accurate today.

Below, we have highlighted just a few of the churches in the Lake District area for you to explore. As well as this area, you can also find out more about churches in the following areas of the county:

• Churches of Carlisle and Hadrian's Wall
• Churches of Eden Valley & North Pennines
• Churches of Morecambe Bay
• Churches of The Western Lakes & Coast
• Churches of The Eastern Lakes and Yorkshire Dales