St Martin's Church, Bowness-on-Windermere

St Martin's is constructed in slate rubble with sandstone dressings.[2] It is roofed in lead.[5] Its plan consists of a nave and chancel with a clerestory, north and south aisles running the whole length of the building, a south porch, a northeast chapel, and a west tower.[2][5][6]

Hyde and Pevsner, in the Buildings of England series, describe the interior of the church as being "a strange sight", because it is constructed entirely in thickly plastered, white-painted, rubble. The piers have a square cross section, are chamfered, and are "markedly tapered".[6] The font, a survivor from the original church, is made in sandstone. It consists of a small octagonal bowl, the corners of which are carved with heads. This may date from the 12th century, but its stem and base are later.[5][6] At the base of the tower is a wooden statue of Saint Martin and a beggar, dating from the 17th century. The reredos dates from 1870, is made from marble, and contains mosaics that depict the symbols of the Four Evangelists and the Passion.[5] In front of the lectern is a display case made by Arthur Simpson in 1907 in memory of the artist Dan Gibson. It contains books, including a copy of the Breeches Bible and two 16th-century chained Bibles.[5][6] All the furnishings in the northeast chapel were designed by Dolman.[6] In the southeast vestry/office is a memorial to Richard Watson, Bishop of Llandaff, who died in 1816, by John Flaxman. On the south wall of the church is a wall memorial dated 1631.[5] The memorials elsewhere include one to members of the Fleming family.[6]

The east window contains stained glass from many periods. The oldest piece is believed to date from 1260.[5] Much of the rest is from the 1460s.[6] The central three windows depict the Crucifixion, and this is flanked by windows containing saints. Below these are kneeling figures that include benefactors, Augustinian canons, and the prior of Cartmel Priory. It is thought that these pieces were transferred from the priory. During the 1870 restoration by Henry Hughes, new pieces of glass were added, each of which is inscribed with the initials "HH". One of the older features of the window, at the top, is the coat of arms of George Washington, whose ancestor, John Wessington, owned land at nearby Warton. In the north aisle is the Carriers Arms window. It incorporates pieces of ancient glass depicting the emblems of a carrier, and commemorate the carrier Bellman who supplied the lead for the roof.[5][6] Elsewhere there is stained glass by Ward and Hughes from 1881, and by Powell's and by A. K Nicholson, both dated 1915. The glass in the northeast chapel, dating from the 1920s, is by Shrigley and Hunt.[6]

On the walls of the nave and on the beams are inscriptions. In the spandrels of the arches are catechetical texts believed to be from a book by Robert Openshawe published in 1590. On an arch facing the lectern is a thanksgiving poem dated 1629 for deliverance following the Gunpowder Plot.[5][6] Elsewhere there are biblical texts. In the chancel and nave are murals in tempera and oil by Henry Hughes. The screen to the southeast vestry/office was moved here from St John's Church, Windermere, when it closed in 1995. This was designed by Dan Gibson and carved by the vicar and parishioners of St. John's. It is in Arts and Crafts style, and contains openwork panels. The screen in the tower arch, dating from 2000, consists of etched glass panels standing on a wood and glass base. The etchings were executed by Sally Scott, and depict angels and music.[5][6] The three-manual organ was built in 1922 by Jardine and Company, and rebuilt in 1964 by J. H. Cowan of Liverpool.[7] It was restored in 1999.[5] There is a ring of eight bells, all cast in 1872 by John Warner and Sons.[8]

The interior is also home to several historic books dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries that are on display.