Benefice of Coniston and the Crake Valley

The Benefice of Coniston and the Crake Valley was officially formed in 2019, and joined the Benefice of Coniston & Torver with the Benefice of Egton cum Newland, Lowick and Colton. The new benefice consists of four parishes - Coniston & Torver, Colton, Egton cum Newland, and Lowick - and five church buildings or places of worship.

Geographically-speaking the benefice is situated at the top of the Furness Peninsula in the South Lakes of Cumbria, in what is known as High Furness. The north of the benefice is the area of Yewdale just outside of the village of Coniston bordering onto Little Langdale. The east of the benefice borders Grizedale Forest and the Rusland Valley, the south of the benefice borders the market town of Ulverston and the estuary of the River Leven, while the west stretches across Gawthwaite Moor, Subberthwaite and Blawith Fells. The benefice stretches 15.8 miles from top to bottom and a mere 5.6 miles at its widest point, and covers an area of 54.3 square miles of diverse terrain including mountains, moors, forest, grazing farmland, rivers and not forgetting the famous Coniston Water.

The benefice includes a resident population of approximately 2,700 and 1,200 occupied households, though there are areas of high second- and holiday-home ownership. Understandably, this population increases significantly during the holiday periods especially in the north of the benefice. The main sectors of employment are in the tourist and farming industries, and both have experienced significant diversification that has seen several successful smaller enterprises establish themselves in the area. The farming community is mainly focussed on rearing sheep and cattle, with the former mainly Swaledales and Herdwicks, but increasingly specialised sheep husbandry. The benefice also finds itself almost entirely within the Lake District National Park and has several active environmental and wildlife interest groups. The arts community also has a number of groups and projects within or near the area.

As you can tell from the description above, we the Benefice of Coniston and the Crake Valley live in a rich and diverse area of the one of the wonderful parts of the United Kingdom, and the area is home to a rich, diverse and warm people. Therefore, we are rightly proud but equally welcoming as a group of churches.

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 Church of England — Maps of Churches, Parish Boundaries and Benefice Boundaries