St Paul's Church

The church was built between 1668 and 1669. It resulted from a bequest made by John Barwick, dean of St Paul's Cathedral, who died in 1664, to provide a burial place in the village of his birth, rather than the dead having to be carried across the tidal estuary of the river Kent for burial at St Michael's Church in Beetham. The height of the walls of the church was raised and a vestry was added in 1768 by John Hird. Hird also added a screen at the east end of the church. In 1881 St Paul's became an independent parish church. The church was restored in 1861, and was renovated in 1880. In 1891 the parish of Witherslack was joined with those of Meathop and Ulpha. There was a further…

St Paul's is constructed in stone rubble with ashlar dressings and a slate roof. Its plan consists of a nave and a chancel in a single chamber, a south porch and a north vestry, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages. It has a west window of two round-headed lights in the bottom stage, two similar windows in the middle stage on the north and west sides, together with a square clock face on the south side with a single hand. In the top stage are two-light bell openings, with round heads and louvres. At the summit of the tower is a projecting embattled parapet. Along both sides of the church are four round-arched three-light windows with straight heads. The south porch is gabled, is…