St Martin's Church, Bowness-on-Windermere 2.74

St Martin's Church stands in the centre of the town of Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Windermere, the archdeaconry of Westmorland and Furness, and the diocese of Carlisle. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.HistoryA church has been present on the site since at least 1203. This was originally a chapel of ease to the mother church at Kendal, becoming a parish in its own right in 1348 at which time the churchyard was consecrated. The church burnt down in 1480, only the font, the base of the tower, and one door surviving. A new church was built and was consecrated in 1483. Amongst the benefactors was a local carrier named Bellman, who is said to have provided the lead for the roof. The church at this time had a simple plan, consisting of a nave with aisles, and a west tower. It contained box pews, a rood loft, a three-decker pulpit and, by 1812, a west gallery. On the walls and roof beams were murals and painted biblical texts.