300px|thumb|St Olaf's Church, Wasdale Head

thumb|275px|St Olaf's Church, Wasdale Head

St Olaf's Church in Wasdale Head, Cumbria, is England's smallest parish church. The earliest record of a church on this site is from 1550, The parish of Wasdale Head is within the Calder deanery of the Diocese of Carlisle.

The church is one of three in the Parish of Gosforth & Wasdale, the other two being St Mary's Church, Gosforth and St Michael & All Angels, Nether Wasdale. The Rector is John Riley, assisted by his ordained wife, Lesley, and curate Alison. The churchwardens in 2020 are Andrew Lopez and Hugh Foulerton.

Visitor information

The church is usually open to visitors each day, and attracts many thousands of visitors each year from around the globe: in 2019 12,500 visitors from 43 countries and 7 of the 8 continents (the eighth continent being Antarctica). As well as a Visitors Book at the back of the church, a Prayer Book is kept near the front where Prayer Requests may be written. The Book is read regularly and acknowledged by ministers, people and situations are then prayed for. These are usually also included at the next Service. Services are usually held at 11.30am on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, feathering in with services at Nether Wasdale Church (at the other end of the Lake) on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. In 2020 public services were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and all three churches in the parish were closed until the restrictions were lifted. (Visitor information from St Olaf's visitors book)

See also

  • Listed buildings in Wasdale

References

  • Wasdale – St Olaf's Church at Visit Cumbria