St Mary's Church

The present church has been formed from part of the church of Holmcultram Abbey, a Cistercian monastery that had been founded in 1150 by King David of Scotland and his son Henry. In 1507 the Abbot, Robert Chambers, added a west porch. At the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538, the local parishioners were worshipping in the nave of the church, and they were allowed to continue to use it. The tower fell on New Year's Day 1600, destroying the choir and the north transept. By this time the endowment was owned by the University of Oxford, who carried out repairs, hampered in 1604 by a fire.

St Mary's is constructed in large blocks of red sandstone from Scotland. The roof is mainly of green slate, with some Welsh grey slate. Its plan consists of a continuous six-bay nave and chancel, a west porch, an ambulatory, and a north vestry and organ chamber. On the west gable is a double bellcote. The west porch is in two storeys with a round-arched doorway, inscribed with the name of Robert Chambers, his coat of arms, and the date 1507. The upper floor has been converted into a vestry, and contains two two-light lancet windows. The side walls of the nave contain round-headed casement windows. The east window, which was relocated in 1730, is Perpendicular in style, dating from about…