Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary, previously known as the nave of Lanercost Priory, is a parish church that dates from the early 13th century, with alterations made in the 18th century. It is constructed from calciferous and red sandstone sourced from the nearby Roman Wall, topped with a graduated green slate roof. The building features an 8-bay nave and a north aisle, with a chamfered plinth, string courses, buttresses, and a dentilled moulded cornice.

The west entrance showcases a pointed arch supported by four engaged columns and decorative mouldings. Above this, there is an arcade of engaged columns with trefoil heads, and a large three-light west window featuring pointed arches and slender engaged columns, flanked by stepped buttresses. A niche above the window contains a 13th-century carved stone figure of St Mary, accompanied by coats of arms of Sir Thomas Dacre. The north aisle and clerestory are adorned with lancet windows that have hood moulds, while the south wall has blocked doorways that once led to the cloisters. The east window, added in 1740, separates the ruined choir from the restored nave.

Inside, the north aisle arcade consists of pointed arches resting on octagonal columns. The clerestory arcades are supported by clustered circular columns, featuring pointed arches and dogtooth decoration. The barrel vaulted wooden ceiling was constructed in 1740 and underwent repairs in 1848-1849. The east window contains fragments of heraldic stained glass from 1559, originally for Sir Thomas Dacre, which was sourced from the nearby Dacre Hall. Additionally, there are two stained glass windows designed by Burne-Jones in the north aisle, a bronze plaque by Sir E. Boehm and Burne-Jones dedicated to Charles Howard from 1879, and serpentine and bronze plaques commemorating members of the Howard family. A brass inscription from the tomb of Sir Thomas Dacre is also present.

The blocked north entrance retains remnants of a priory cross from 1214, with those remains listed separately. A wooden bread cupboard bears the carved date of 1707, and there are 20th-century wooden steps leading to the scriptorium. After the Dissolution, the building fell into ruin until it was reroofed and repurposed as a parish church in 1739-1740. The adjoining remains of the priory are listed separately.