A Dales church

Hardraw, near Hawes, is a tiny hamlet with just a few stone houses, a church, the pub and the visitor centre for the waterfall of Hardraw Force. Its church of St Mary and St John is charming. Consecrated in 1880, it is a memorial to the brother of the 1st Earl of Wharncliffe, and replaced an earlier Chapel of Ease. It's Grade II listed and, perhaps because of its relative youth as churches go, it was refreshingly free of the damp mustiness you associate with old churches. It was raining hard when I visited, which may explain why I unaccountably failed to take a photo of the exterior. I rather liked the snowdrop-framed view along Hardraw Beck though. (Could swear I heard the water sighing with relief that it had survived its 100 foot drop down the Falls. Ha!) 

Our tiny churches often hold treasures and this one had a rather stylish stained glass East Window, dedicated to the memory of one of the former vicars, Rev'd Robert Pinck, who was incumbent here for nearly 60 years, from 1854 (aged just 30) until he died in 1913.

There was also a modern wood carving of Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus (though not the wee donkey!) that I rather liked.