St Andrew's Church, Crosby Garrett

St Andrew’s Church stands in the quiet village of Crosby Garrett in Cumbria, built mainly of local stone under grey slate roofs. Its plan includes a three-bay nave, a two-bay chancel, a north aisle and a small north vestry, with a low tower corbelled from the west end. The tower has plain parapets, corner pinnacles and a low pyramidal roof. Round-headed windows line the north aisle while the chancel windows are pointed and the nave windows square-headed. Inside the porch are stone benches worn smooth by centuries of use. The church began in the 11th century, with the chancel rebuilt in the 14th century and the south porch dated 1662. In 1745 a north vestry was added, and in 1866 E. Johnson of Liverpool rebuilt the north aisle in Romanesque style. The west tower, originally 13th century, was rebuilt in 1874 and the east window inserted in 1883. Inside, a three-bay Norman arcade from about 1175 supports the roof, and above the chancel arch a higher, narrower Saxon arch survives from before the Norman conquest. Inside, the chancel is in Decorated style with an Early English arch, and a large squint connects aisle and chancel. A 13th-century trefoil-headed piscina is set in the south chancel wall, and a medieval aumbry in the north wall. The tower contains two bells, one from the 13th century and one from the 14th. The church shares its parish with St Stephen’s in Kirkby Stephen and St Mary’s in Mallerstang, three buildings united in quiet service across the dale.