Penrith’s St Andrew’s Church has quite a few interesting features.
The Tower is medieval but most of the building was re-built in the 1720s in the Georgian style. The result is a huge, rectangular church with an almost flat roof - looking more like a warehouse from the outside than an English parish church. But inside it’s a different story. A deep gallery sits above the pews on the north, south and west sides, supported by Tuscan columns. The ceiling is a deep red and ornate. The stained glass windows are beautiful.
In the church yard are some Anglo-Saxon artefacts from the 10th century: two crosses and four hogbacks, (known as the Giant’s Grave) and a separate standing cross (known as the Giant’s Thumb).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs_HbKUge-epHenigRdAWgYDwEdlu4263hr6KDXews8bYVJkPu349Q7Uz57lYMtIlxyEkM6K80tC2c62PcZpywUfFDk1cN-i6k94Fh4z_DrEG6FjktY0oyrM5B_dzmgiLjPxmklyYt0qf1ezngC2v3xQUIr2lB6WwMgD2JxOPxW6wLD7-aym3GiDAjgw/w640-h360/20230817_152628.jpg) |
The Giant’s Grave |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeXCNkjoywEA05cyV5kPd4DEwctKrx9F8pMc8MRN-31uHOizJI8hsi0VFaEqLYhLHtwmV18I05XzKjlRzo7000SBh9t6Q-BhlQOoTF8cR_fejDoiOl7_YQxJDpezSTXToed-ZIN95vW_7e3Ts-l79foC_UQR5wso1C1z1NLcD00dyE3DJ8pTBYDJ7W60/w640-h360/20230817_152643.jpg) |
Detailed carving on the hog backs |
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Giant’s Thumb - more spiral carvings |
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Early antiquarians visit the Giant’s Grave |