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St Mary's Church
St Mary's ChurchLocation in South LakelandShow map of the former South Lakeland districtSt Mary's ChurchLocation in CumbriaShow map of Cumbria
54°25′51″N 2°58′00″W / 54.430848°N 2.966588°W / 54.430848; -2.966588
Location	Ambleside
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Website	amblesidechurch.org.uk
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Architect(s)	George Gilbert Scott
Style	Gothic Revival
Years built	1850s
Administration
Province	York
Diocese	Carlisle
Archdeaconry	Westmorland
Clergy
Bishop(s)	James Newcome
Pastor(s)	Beverley Lock

St Mary's Church is in Ambleside, Cumbria, England. It was built in the 1850s to a design by George Gilbert Scott in Gothic Revival style (specifically Decorated Gothic). The building is Grade II* listed. Notable features include its stone spire, which is a local landmark and an unusual feature in Lake District churches.

The building is constructed of slate, the typical building stone of the locality, and sandstone which is used for dressings and the spire.

History

The decision to build the church reflects the coming of the railway to Windermere in 1847 and the subsequent expansion of Ambleside because of the increased opportunities for tourism.

A north-east choir vestry was added in 1889 to the designs of Paley & Austin of Lancaster.

Interior

Wall-painting

There is a 26-foot mural on the west wall depicting the traditional ceremony of rushbearing (which still takes place on the first Saturday in July). The mural was created by Gordon Ransom of the Royal College of Art when the College was evacuated to Ambleside during the Second World War. The vicar of Ambleside, Henry Adamson Thompson, is depicted on the right hand side of the mural.

Bells

The tower contains a heavy peal of eight bells cast by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough in 1901. With the tenor weighing 32 and a half long cwt (1,652 kg), they are the fourth heaviest ring of eight in the United Kingdom and the heaviest ring of eight outside of the West Country. The bells can be heard from across Lake Windermere and are considered to be amongst the finest rings of their kind in the UK.

Burials

Burials include Mary Louisa Armitt, the founder of Ambleside's Armitt Library. Her sisters Annie and Sophia are also buried there.

References

1. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1244784)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
2. Bingham, Roger (February 2011). "Guide book reveals man-made gems". The Westmorland Gazette. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
3. St Mary's Church. www.visitcumbria.com
4. "Fundraising begins to restore historical Lake District mural". Westmorland Gazette. April 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
5. "Crowds enjoy rushbearing". The Westmorland Gazette. 2019.
6. Leslie Duxbury (2008), Bohemians in Exile: The Royal College of Art in Ambleside, 1940-1945. "Bohemians in Exile" was also the title of a 2011 exhibition at the Armitt Museum.
7. Smith, Martin (6 December 2012). "Tower details - Ambleside, Cumbria, S Mary". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
8. "Ambleside Bells and Bellringers". Ambleside Online. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
9. Eileen Jay, ‘Armitt, Mary Louisa (1851–1911)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. Accessed 2017-08-02 (subscription or UK public library membership required)

External links

• Church of England church buildings in Cumbria
• Grade II* listed churches in Cumbria
• George Gilbert Scott buildings
• Austin and Paley buildings
• Gothic Revival architecture in Cumbria
• Diocese of Carlisle
• 19th-century Church of England church buildings
• Ambleside