St Bartholomew's Church, Barbon

St Bartholomew’s Church stands in the quiet village of Barbon, Cumbria, a few miles south of Kirkby Lonsdale. The present building was finished in 1893, replacing an earlier chapel of ease that dated from 1610. Its tower rises above the crossing, and the whole structure is built of local stone with grey stone-slate roofs. The architects were Paley, Austin and Paley of Lancaster, who gave the church its Perpendicular style with freely handled details. A small gabled porch on the south leads into the nave, while a square stair turret clings to the southeast corner of the tower. The church is worth the journey for its fine craftsmanship and the way it gathers eight centuries of local history into one place. The Royal arms of 1815 hang above the south aisle, and the west window’s stained glass was designed by Harrington Mann and made by Powell’s in 1893. The organ, built by J. W. Walker in 1903, still speaks clearly, and the ring of six bells includes three cast by John Taylor in 1893. Five of the bells were made in Loughborough, the newest in 2003, so the sound changes with the years. Inside, the ashlar walls and octagonal piers frame a simple yet elegant space. The arcades, furniture and fittings were all designed by the architects and carved by local hands. The five-light east window floods the chancel with coloured light, while the two-light south window adds a softer glow. Outside, the embattled parapet and the tall cross on the tower’s pyramidal roof mark the skyline of Barbon, a landmark for walkers on the fells.