(A booklet published in 2016 – “Sarah’s acorn – the history of St Paul’s, Grange-over-Sands” – describes the development of the church from 1853 to 2016)

The ancient parish of Cartmel was extensive; it included Grange and places west to the River Leven, the southern part of Lake Windermere, east to the River Winster, and south to the shore of Morecambe Bay – about 40 miles round.

Many people passed through Grange on the over-sands route between Lancaster, Flookburgh and Ulverston, but few people settled until early in the 19th century when there was a steady increase in population and a trickle of holiday visitors. One of these early holiday-makers, Sarah Anne Clarke, from Liverpool, was distressed to find that most of the inhabitants excused themselves from attending any place of worship because the roads leading to the parish church at Cartmel and the chapel at Lindale were in a very bad state

Miss Clarke set to work to collect funds for the building; she was greatly assisted by the Misses Taylor, who had recently settled in the village, and Canon Sergeant, also of Liverpool.

A site had already been given for a church by Mrs Susannah Newby, widow.  She sold part of the garden (80 ft x 50 ft) of her farmhouse in Grange (the site of Hampsfell Grange) for £5 to Mr Gray Rigge* of Wood Broughton and James Machell Harrison (attorney-at-law), on 18th May 1852, just five months before her death at Cark Villa on the 9th October 1852, aged 87, on the understanding that a church was to be erected there once the necessary funds were obtained.  An appeal for funds was issued far and wide, and it brought subscriptions from places as far away as Jamaica and Valparaiso! Below is a copy of the original appeal.