St Columba's Church, Warcop

St Columba’s Church stands in the small village of Warcop, Cumbria, on ground once occupied by a Roman camp. The present building dates from the 12th century but shows later changes, including a rebuilt chancel in the 1850s by J. S. Crowther. The church is listed at Grade I for its historic importance and remains an active Anglican parish. Every year on 29 June the church holds a rushbearing ceremony, a tradition that has continued for centuries. The exterior is built of red sandstone under a slate roof, with a Norman north wall and a bellcote that has been rebuilt several times. Inside, the nave roof is 15th-century, the box pews are numbered, and the chancel windows contain stained glass by William Wailes. The churchyard contains a medieval cross-shaft set in a square base, also Grade II listed. A 13th-century piscina survives in each transept, and the organ was originally built for a Methodist chapel before being installed in 1992. The north transept shows Early English style, while the windows in the nave belong to the Perpendicular period.