St. Mary's Church, Wreay, Cumbria.

Visiting and Contacts

The Church

‘It is one of the most interesting buildings in
England. In the history of the architectural crafts
….it is unique.’
Rosemary Hill,
Romantic Affinities, Craft Magazine

St Mary’s was built between 1840 and 1842 under the personal direction of Sara Losh. She based the form of the church on a Roman basilica, a rectangular nave with a semicircular apse, a building type that was used by the first Christians for worship and which Sara had seen on her ‘grand tour’ of the Continent.

This simple building form was at odds with the prevailing English Gothic style but it suited Sara’s modest technical skills and budget. Her workforce was drawn from local labour, including the stonemason William Hindson and his sons who, it is believed, Sara sent to Italy to study techniques and historical models.

Within this simple building Sara created a highly original work – the product of her exuberant imagination. The church is full of symbolic ornament and carvings some of which Sara carried out herself. St Mary’s embodies many of the attributes of the Arts and Crafts Movement and yet predates it by some 50 years.