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Bassenthwaite

Nearest town: Keswick

Site type: churchyard

Access: Public

Church name: St Bega

Diocese: Carlisle

County: Cumbria

Country: England

Grid ref: NY2291531587

Lost yew site: No

Date visited: 13/8/1997

Recorded by: Graham Wilkinson

Protection & responsibility: PCC

Yews recorded at this site: Notable

Notes: The church originally served Bassenthwaite village, but a chapel of Ease was built here prior to 1478 due to St. Bega's being too far away. (It too was made redundant by the larger St. John's, in 1878.) The church still seems in use, and is well cared for and in good repair. The leaflet suggests that the site "probably stands on a former Druid place of worship...The churchyard is circular in shape, near running water." The site, it says, is typical of pagan origins. A set of mounting-steps stand outside the gate. A fine site, between the lake to the west and Skiddaw to the east.