The Parish Church of St Andrew is located on Hawkshead Road in the centre of Coniston. The Grade II Listed building was designed by J. Matson and was built in 1819. It is constructed of slate with ashlar dressings and slate roof. The building features a west tower with embattled parapet, clock and paired stone-louvred bell openings. (
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"The present church replaced an earlier church of 1586 built by William Le Fleming. The chancel and the low bays were added in 1891. The Baptistry West window of St Andrew has stained glass by Charles Kempe.
Many of the features in the Church worthy of mention refer back to the patrons and benefactors of Coniston – the Le Fleming family, who built Coniston Hall in 1270, and who have remained there until recent times, and the Barratt family who established themselves in Coniston in the 1820’s to develop the copper mines." Source: (
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The churchyard surrounds the church and has some notable graves and includes that of John Ruskin.
John Ruskin was born on 8th February 1819. He was an author, and the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, as well as an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, philosopher, prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects that included education, literature, botany, ornithology, geology, architecture, myth and political economy.
Some of his notable works are "Modern Painters," "The Seven Lamps of Architecture," "The Stones of Venice," "Unto This Last," and "Fors Clavigera."
Ruskin died of influenza at Brantwood House located on the shores of Coniston Water, on 20th January 1900 aged 80.
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The grave of John Ruskin is located at the southern end of the churchyard, close to Hawkshead Road at the back of the churchyard.
His grave is marked with a large Celtic style cross carved from green slate sourced from the local quarry at Tilberthwaite. It was carved by H.T. Miles, to a design by W.G. Collingwood, who was an expert on Anglo-Saxon crosses. The cross has an intricate design with symbols depicting important aspects of Ruskin’s work and life.
The cross is Grade II listed, the description given by Historic England reads as follows;
"Heritage Category: Listed Building
Grade: II
List Entry Number: 1335749
Date first listed: 22-Sep-1987
CONISTON SD 39 NW 5/80 Memorial cross to John Ruskin approx 23m east of St Andrew's Church
Memorial in form of Anglo-celtic cross. 1901. By W.G. Collingwood, an expert in ancient crosses. Slightly tapering rectangular shaft, cross head with swept arms. Interlace scrollwork and symbolic panels. Memorial reads: "JOHN RUSKIN/ 1819:1900". East face has, from bottom to top: youth playing lyre; inscription with interlace above and below; youth sketching in Swiss Alps (representing "Modern Painters"); St Mark's Lion (Stones of Venice); 7 branched candlestick (Seven Lamps of Architecture). Cross head has interlace and hemisphere. South face has scrollwork of dogrose with squirrel, kingfisher and wren. West face has scene from parable of vineyard ("Unto This Last"); lilies and sesame seeds ("Sesame and Lilies"); crowned angel holding club, key and nail ("Fors Clavigera"); olive wreath ("Crown of Wild Olive"); St George and dragon (representing Guild of St George). North face has interlace panel. John Ruskin was the foremost art critic of the Victorian age, and also wrote on social and economic matters.
Listing NGR: SD3028097568"
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The Memorial inscription on the east face simply reads:
"JOHN RUSKIN
1819:1900"