St Mark's Church, Natland

The first church in the village was built in 1246, and this was replaced by a new church on a different site in 1735. This was replaced again in 1825 on the site of the present church. This church was designed by the Kendal architect George Webster. As the size of the local population increased, the church became inadequate for its congregation, and in 1908 it was decided to demolish it and replace it with a larger building. The Lancaster architects Austin and Paley were commissioned to design the new church. The foundation stone was laid on 29 June 1909, and the new church was consecrated by the bishop of Carlisle on 7 November 1910. It provided seating for 259 people, and cost about…

The porch leads into the base of the tower. Between the entrance and the font is a large round column, the south pier of the tower; the north pier is built into the wall. The arcades are carried on alternate round and octagonal piers, the capitals being decorated with carved square flowers. The altar rails, the stalls, the pulpit, the pews, and the font were all designed by Austin and Paley. The font is carved from a single piece of stone.