We had a lovely day out in the Eden Valley and, on our way to Morland for lunch, we stopped in Crosby Ravensworth to explore the village church: St Lawrence's.
The church dates from the 13th century and has been described as “unexpectedly grand and fully developed” and even “a mini cathedral”. It's a large and imposing edifice in the centre of the village and approached by a small bridge over the stream.
The oldest part of the church is to be found at the crossing, and this dates from about 1190–1200. The south doorway and arcades are from the 13th century. It is thought that there was originally a tower at the crossing, but this was dismantled towards the end of the 15th century, and replaced by the west tower, and transepts were also removed. The northeast chapel (the Threlkeld Chapel) does date from this time. The church was remodelled twice during the 19th century.
