Cartmel Priory Church

Monastic visitors, pilgrims and other travellers having just crossed the Bay Sands for the first time would have gazed in awe at the sight of Cartmel Priory as it nestled in the shelter of the wooded valley below. The first view in the 12th century would have been different from that of today. The three Bay Nave was not yet built but the domestic buildings on the south side would have been a welcome sight for travellers. The founding Marshal family were very much in evidence. By the late thirteenth century the estate had passed into the hands of the Harrington family. Most of the records were lost following the dissolution of the monastery in 1537. The Preston family acquired the Priory c.1620 and commenced a major restoration programme. Over the years the Priory Church has evolved in to what you see today and will continue to evolve as it continues to thrive as a living church.