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History:

Religious Buildings in Cumbria

The history of relgion in Cumbria and the Lake District.
Cartmel Priory.

Welcome to the EDGE Guide to Religious Buildings. Despite the best efforts of the Scots raiders the important religious buildings of the county survived largely intact until the reign of King Henry VIII.

Henry's Dissolution brought about the destruction of some of England's finest buildings.

However, a great many survived: Carlisle Cathedral, Cartmel and Lanercost Priories are still in use, though not in their original condition.

The ruins of the Abbeys at Furness and Shap are more romantic and in their own way just as impressive as their more fortunate brethren. All are worth visiting.

The Power Ploitics of Henry VIII.
The ruined Abbey of Furness.

A great many of the churches in the county are of architectural merit and good guidebooks such as Mike Salter's The Old Parish Churches of Cumbria and the two volumes about Cumbria in the Buildings of England series by Nikolaus Pevsner (published by Penguin) will be invaluable companions. There are many others.

Map of Cumbria and the Lake District.