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You are here: Home > Things to Do > History and Heritage > Cumbrian Churches > Churches of The Lake District

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
  1. St. Mary's Church, Ambleside
    St. Mary's Church, Ambleside
    Visible from miles around that spire of St Mary’s nestles into the beautiful landscape of the Heart of the English Lake District.
    1. St, Bega's Church, Bassenthwaite
      St. Bega's Church, Bassenthwaite
      The church, dedicated to the Celtic Saint Bega, is situated in a picture perfect setting in fields on the east shore of Bassenthwaite Lake.
      1. St. Oswald's Church, Grasmere
        St. Oswald's Church, Grasmere
        This church is well known because of its associations with the great Romantic poet William Wordsworth, who lived in nearby Dove Cottage and is buried in the churchyard.
      2. St Michael & All Angels Church, Hawkshead
        St. Michael & All Angels Church, Hawkshead
        Grade I listed, it is one of the finest examples of a late medieval, vernacular Lake District church. It has literary connections with Wordsworth and was also the home the home of Archbishop Sandys in the 16th century.
        1. St. John's Church, Keswick
          St. John's Church, Keswick
          The church is situated centrally in Keswick and stands out by virtue of its tall spire. The site for this church commands superb views of the surrounding Lakeland hills.
          1. Newlands Church
            Newlands Church
            Newlands church, set in the midst of the lovely Newlands Valley, is a haven of peace and tranquillity, it can be traced back to the mid 16th century, although it was substantially refurbished in the 1840s.

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            • 1Tebay Services Kitchen & Foodhall
            • 2Tour of Loughrigg Fell
            • 3Family Gorge Walking in the Lake District with Path to Adventure
            • 4Wild Forest Sauna
            • 5Peel Wood
            • 6Mountain Walking with Adventure Vertical
            • 7Archery and Axe Throwing with Graythwaite Adventure
            • 8Twenty Years of the Met in Cinemas: An Anniversary Celebration – The Met Opera
            • 9Winter Craft Fair at Blackwell
            • 10The Mountain Road
            • 114x4 Kankku Off-Road Team Building Expedition
            • 12Hutton-in-the-Forest Historic House
            • 13Loweswater Show
            • 14Old Coach Road
            • 15Team Building at Cliffhanger Escape Rooms
            • 16Coast to Coast Running Holiday with Coast to Coast Packhorse
            • 17Old Dungeon Ghyll Car Park
            • 18Conferences at Crooklands Hotel
            • 19The Courtyard Cafe at Holker Hall
            • 20The Coro
            • 21Elterwater
            • 22Barn Croft
            • 23Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s farmhouse retreat
            • 24Tebay Services Farmshop
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