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[hand]some Gothic edifice. The large east window [1] is finely
ribbed with pointed arches, light and elegant; but the painted
glass is almost destroyed. The preservation of this edifice
reflects honour on the memory of George Preston, Esq. of Holker,
who, at his own expense, new-roofed the whole, and decorated the
inside with a stucco cieling (sic). The choir and chancel he also
repaired, suiting the new parts to the old remains of the canons'
seats, and thereby giving them their ancient uniform appearance.
Persons uninformed of this, always take it to be the same as it
was before the dissolution. The style of the building, like most
of its contemporaries, is irregular. The form is a cross, in
length 157 feet; the transept 110 feet; the height of the walls
57 feet. The tower on the centre is of a singular construction,
being a square within a square, the higher set at cross angles
with the lower. This gives it an odd appearance on all sides, but
may have some reference to the octagonal pillars in the church,
and both to the memory of something now forgotten. According to
some accounts, it was built and endowed with the manor of
Cartmel, by William Marischal the elder, Earl of Pembroke, in
1188, but as in the foundation deed mention is made of Henry II,-
Richard,- and
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