Category: Cumbria

Bampton to Martindale is not very far as the crow flies – a bit further when Clare is driving. Pooley Bridge, up beside Ullswater – we have promised ourselves a trip on the steamer later in the summer – and I was glad she was driving the zig zag to St Peter’s church, NY 436192 – website. I think it has a fortnightly service. The architect was J.A. Cory, 1880-2 – he’s another local church builder. Pevsner says “a prim Victorian church sits uneasily here” – it didn’t feel prim (nothing prim would have survived all these Cumbrian winters)....

We are parked on the north side of the A66 having visited St Ninian’s. We managed to turn right across the A66, and then turned left to go down into the village of Brougham. There is a car park opposite Brougham Hall, and the church is next to it. St Wilfrid’s Brougham – NY527284. The Betjeman Best Churches app – which has, sadly, since died when iOS11 updated my phone – said it was very special. Unfortunately it was severely locked and bolted, no welcome notices at all. However Clare did a bit of research and realised she knew...

Monday 26 June is a day to escape on a Northern Rail rover ticket. I ended up in Appleby-in-Westmorland, meeting my friend Clare for lunch. We found a second hand bookshop – if you are having a day out with a beautiful young lady, always a good idea to purchase books for your wife. St Lawrence’s church, Appleby-in-Westmorland, is beautifully situated in the middle of the town,  grid reference NY683205 – website A simple leaflet and a fuller guide book – both very well illustrated with good photos. It has suffered from flooding twice in recent years, 2004 and...