Christ Church (the Shepherds' Church), Over Wyredale

Built in the sparsely populated hill country of north-east of Lancashire in an isolated location to the west of the village of Abbeystead, Christ Church was erected in 1733 but owes much of its character to the re-modelling of 1893-1894. At that time,  John Douglas extensively restored the building, adding a chancel, a north vestry and south porch, opening up the old roof, inserting new windows, adding buttresses to the walls and an embattled parapet to the tower, the whole cost of the work being defrayed by the Earl of Sefton. Especially notable was the scheme of stained glass by Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster to the designs of Carl Almquist on the theme of sheep and shepherds. The east window shows “the Good Shepherd” while other windows feature “the Lost Sheep” “the Adoration of the Shepherds,” The Hirling Shepherd” and David tending Jesse’s flock. The Sefton family of Abbeystead, especially the Earl’s daughter. Lady Rose Molyneux suggested the subject matter.

Reference           Kelly Directory of Lancashire