St. Oswald's Church, Grasmere

In the village of Grasmere stands St. Oswald's church. A church of some description has been here since 642 (no leading "1" in front).

The first church in Grasmere was founded by Oswald of Northumbria, King of Northumbria, in 642. The present church stands on or near the same site, and is dedicated to him.^[5] It dates from the 14th century,^[4] and was doubled in size by the addition of a parallel nave to the north of the original nave between 1490 and 1500.^[6] The roof was rebuilt in about 1562, which involved adding a second tier of arches to the arcade. The windows and doors were restored in 1840 by George Webster.^[6]

Inside the church, the arcade has five arches rising from ground level, and four arches above. The arcade does not reach the ridge of the roof, but ends in the upper tie beams of the open timber roof. In the church is a poor box dated 1648, and a balustered altar rail of 1725. The pulpit is in Arts and Craft style, and carved with fruits and flowers. The font is medieval, and consists of an octagonal bowl on a stepped base. The stained glass includes a window on the north side of the church from about 1926 by Shrigley and Hunt, and two windows on the south side from the 1890s by Henry Holiday. There is medieval glass in windows on the south side of the chancel. 

Outside in the cemetery that surrounds the church we find the poet William Wordsworth and his family.

Graves for the romantic poet William Wordsworth, who lived in Grasmere is buried in the churchyard along with his wife Mary, his sister Dorothy, his brother John, and his children, including his daughter Dora Quillinan.

Wordsworth also planted eight yew trees in the this cemetery and they still stand today. One of them is seen below not far from his grave.