Heversham is the third-largest medieval church in Westmorland. Apart from the township of Heversham and Leasgill, the parish originally included Milnthorpe, Preston Richard (Endmoor), Levens, Crosthwaite, Crosscrake and Stainton. Parish Registers and archives dating from the early 1600s include information about all parts of the old parish. Heversham’s size and status is immediately apparent by the large dimensions of the south aisle, which was widened southwards from the original 1180 nave arcade in the 14th century. In 1870, its three-pointed windows received new panelled tracery to provide settings for memorial stained glass.
The triptych of three red sandstone arches under the eastern window indicates the position of a subsidiary altar dedicated to St Mary. Although disused since c 1530, it was restored in c 1870 using material from the demolished north arcade.
Since c 1980, the christening font has been located here. The current font is mid-Victorian. It was a gift, probably from the Argles family, and replaced a marble one which had been installed in the mid-18th century. The font cover was made by Messrs Hatch of Lancaster as a memorial to Thomas and Agnes Argles, both of whom died in 1923. Its cost of £50 was more than the funds collected and, as a result, a planned dedication service was not held. Just behind the font, a bench dated Thomas Lockey 1626 was originally provided with a desk which had contained a 1611 Bible and a copy of Foxe’s Booke of (Protestant) Martyrs. Unfortunately, in the 1970s, it was believed to have emanated from the Grammar School and was passed to the school, where it languished in a bike-shed before eventually being sent to Kendal Museum, where its inaccurate school provenance is stated.
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