Priory Church of St Mary and St Michael, Cartmel, Cumbria: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

A statement of significance was commissioned from Marion Barter Associates Ltd in 2019 by Dominic Roberts of Francis Roberts Architects on behalf of the PCC of St Mary’s Church, Cartmel. Its purpose was to inform discussions about re-ordering part of the interior and a potential north addition to the building. The Faculty Jurisdiction Rules 2013 define a statement of significance as “a document which describes the significance of the church or other building in terms of its special architectural and historic interest (including any contribution made by its setting) and any significant features of artistic or archaeological interest that the church or other building has so as to enable the potential impact of the proposals on its significance, and on any such features, to be understood’’. The church is located within Cartmel Conservation Area and is a Grade I listed building. An Augustinian priory was founded at Cartmel in c1190. The report covers the following key issues: the history and key phases of the church, a statement of significance covering the building and all fittings, a summary of the archaeological potential for the site, and the contribution made by the setting to the significance of the church.

The full report will be made available on the Archaeology Data Service website.