St Mary
Wreay, Cumbria
Sarah Losh (1785-1853), a local landowner, designed St Mary's in 1840, partly in memory of her sister and parents.
A lovely village church made up of varying features from different centuries.
The earliest chapelry in the Inglewood forest may have been here in c1200.It is documented that in 1340 there was a chapelry in the parish of St Marys Carlisle when Bishop Kirkly licensed John de Eskeved priest to minister at Hesket and to teach grammar at the Bishops school in Penrith, this chapel may have been built by Sir William Langley, the Kings Chief Forrester 1328-1342.
The chancel and its lovely stone arch date from 1537 when, because of the plague Hesket was licensed to have its own burial ground and act as a parochial chapel. The nave and aisle were rebuilt in 1720 in Georgian style, and the western porch added in the early 18th century ,while the east and north aisles are from Victorian times. An organ loft and three decked pulpit were removed in 1874 and the present organ given in the same year by the James family of Barrock Park. The oak box pews were removed in 1906 and replaced with pine pews, then in 1950 the oak choir stalls were moved to their present position.