Cartmel Priory

Cartmel Priory

12th century priory escaped destruction during the Dissolution of Henry VIII and remains one of the finest ecclesiastical buildings in the north of England.

Hundreds of years ago, monastic visitors, pilgrims and other travellers having just crossed the Morecambe 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 quite 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.

The Priory Church has evolved and it continues to thrive as a living, working  church today.


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