The History of the ancient Crosthwaite Parish Church in Keswick.

This Church is dedicated to St.Kentigern, known as St.Mungo in Scotland, where he is the patron saint of St.Mungo's Cathedral in Glasgow. Legend has it that as a young man he performed four miracles, represented by four emblems:

• The tree recalls when St.Kentigern used a branch of hazel to ignite a tree in order to bring light to a darkened monastery in Culross.

• The bird is actually a pet robin which was looked after by St.Kentigern's master, St.Serf. St.Kentigern restored the unfortunate creature to life after it had been accidentally killed by some disciples.

• The salmon with a ring in its mouth bears evidence of St.Kentigern's helpfulness in retrieving the lost ring of bride-to-be, the Queen of Cadzow, from a fish which was caught in the River Clyde.

• The bell, somewhat more prosaically, signifies a bell which St.Kentigern brought with him from his travels to Rome. The custom was to toll the bell to announce a death and to encourage the people to pray for the soul of the departed.

St.Kentigern came to our area having been driven out of Glasgow by a pagan prince, and set up his cross in a clearing or ‘Thwaite’, in 553AD. Hence the name “Crosthwaite”. Nothing remains of the earliest church buildings, but small portions of the stone church of 1180 survive.

In all likelihood a church has stood on this site since the sixth century A.D. The existing church is probably the fifth or sixth building since then and we learn of a new one in 1180, built by Alice de Romili, Lady of Allerdale. Her son was drowned and in deep sorrow she also founded Bolton Abbey and restored the nave of Carlisle Cathedral.

In 1198, Richard Coeur-de-Lion gave the church to Fountains Abbey and for three hundred years the parish was run by the monks. The hollow at the bottom of Vicarage Hill, still indicates the road by which they came to church from the Monastery Hall in Fitz Park. If you look at the board on the north aisle with the list of Vicars’ names, you will note there are no names during this period.

In the time of Edward III (1327-1377) the church appears to have been rebuilt. The present building is dated 1523 and was extensively restored in 1844, by the architect Gilbert Scott, who designed the roof timbers, pews and some of the screen work now existing.

This all took place because subscriptions were being gathered in 1844, for a Southey monument, mostly through the munificence of a well known personality of the time, James Stanger Esq. of Lairthwaite. It is a good example of pre-Reformation Northern perpendicular architecture, planned for processions, after the fashion of St.Margaret's Westminster. Note the absence of a Chancel arch.

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