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Kentmere

Nearest town: Windermere

Site type: churchyard

Access: Public

Church name: St Cuthbert

Diocese: Carlisle

County: Cumbria

Country: England

Grid ref: NY45630410

Lost yew site: No

Date visited: 23-Jun-02

Recorded by: Tim Hills

Protection & responsibility: Parochial Church Council

Yews recorded at this site: Ancient 4m-5m, Notable

Notes: A circular churchyard suggests an early place of worship at this remote location, found at the end of a valley. 2015 Max Biden, PCC Treasurer: The following information, taken from the current guide to the history of St Cuthbert's Parish Church is also available on www.kentmere.org. The site was visited by The Revd Thomas Machell, Vicar of Kirkby Thore and Chaplain to King Charles II. In his work entitled Towards a History of the Barony of Kendal (1691/3) he gives the following description: 'The chapel of Kentmere is [a] large stately building with little windows placed very high, and has not heretofore had a steeple. Kentmere [has] a large and high roofed chapel, formerly designed for lead, and has had a steeple, but not within memory, and [is] reported to have been built by one Airay of this dale, having stood formerly on a place called Chapelhow between it and the Hall. This chapel looks so ancient having also an old Yew tree in it'. The tree was already acknowledged as old three hundred and twenty five years ago.

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