On the edge of the Northern Fells, Ireby lies in an area locally known as “Back o'Skiddaw”. Two distinct themes can help shape your travel plans: the village’s historic buildings and walking and landscape destinations in the surrounding area. Local history includes a church with medieval features, Moot Hall, the Butter Cross and a war memorial. Easy walking routes in the local Ireby and Uldale area are also among the possible themes of a stay.
Landscape and walking routes around Ireby
A few miles from Ireby lies Overwater, the northernmost lake in the Lake District. Nearby Aughertree Fell adds an archaeological dimension to the landscape: a Bronze Age farmstead once stood there, and traces of a pre-Roman road can still be seen. Overwater is therefore a landscape destination some distance away, while Aughertree Fell bears traces of earlier use of the area.
There are easy walking routes in the local Ireby and Uldale area. A route description, last updated on 3 March 2017, names Ireby as the endpoint of the Smugglers Route. Check the path conditions before setting out. The two references have different focuses: easy walking routes in the local area on the one hand, and a specifically named endpoint on the other. Ireby is also linked to a literary journey: John Keats visited the village during such a journey.
Ireby Old Church and its building phases
Ireby Old Church was built around 1150. Its east wall features an arcade of three round-headed lancet windows dating from around 1170. This distinguishes the church’s approximate construction date from the later date of this architectural feature.
Ireby Old Church is listed as open daily from 10 am to 4 pm (as of 2 September 2026). Check the opening times before your visit, as they may change. Access is via a footpath from the road through uneven pasture; conditions on the grounds may depend on the weather. Allow for this walk when planning your visit.
St James was built in 1845–1846 to replace the Old Church. The two church histories therefore belong to different periods of construction: the medieval Old Church was followed by the 19th-century replacement, St James.
Market history and historic buildings
Moot Hall probably dates from the late 16th century. The Butter Cross is a market cross, probably from the 17th century, made of red sandstone. It stands on a stepped base with an octagonal shaft; the cross head was restored in the 19th century. Its distinctive forms and dates make the market cross a chapter of local history in its own right.
Ireby was formerly called Market Ireby and received the right to hold a weekly market in 1236. Ireby War Memorial is a First World War memorial dating from 1921; additions commemorate the Second World War. Together with the churches and the Butter Cross, these buildings and memorials provide different points of reference in local history, from medieval church construction to 20th-century memorials.
Discover more destinations: Gamblesby, Stainburn, Mealsgate, Calthwaite, Thirlmere, Keswick, Grange Over Sands, Embleton
For the main travel overview: Cumbria.
