One of historic Cartmel Priory’s landmark churchyard trees might soon face the axe because it was rotting away and could soon prove a danger.

So reported The Mail in August 1996.

Under the headline ‘Axe hangs over priory tree’, it was reported that the Norway spruce had been condemned to be felled after a professional report warned of tis poor condition.

Parish councillors from Lower Allithwaite, who had responsibility for trees in the enclosed priory churchyard, said the mature spruce, which was more than 40 years old, should come down.

But it could not be legally felled until a faculty was obtained from the church authorities in the Diocese of Carlisle, explained parish councillor Bill Jackson.

Retired churchwarden Fred Perry, who was a member of the parochial church council, admitted it was an ongoing problem. “This is a constant thing with the priory.

"A lot of the trees are old,” he said.

“We do plant saplings to take their place, however, but they take such a long time to grow,” added Mr Perry.

Also in 1996, The Mail reported that hundreds of blooms had transformed Cartmel Priory into a living garden for the Barnardo’s Festival of Flowers.

“People literally said we had transferred the church into God’s garden,” said Barnardo’s’ county organiser Kath Woodend.

More than 60 arrangers from Cartmel, Barrow, Ulverston, Scaleby and Lancaster flower clubs had spent three full days preparing the displays before opening the church doors to the public.

Mrs Woodend said the festival theme was Let the Children Come to Me and about 400 visitors had arrived on the Friday and then more than 600 each on Saturday and Sunday.

Organisers had not yet tallied the final fundraising total from the festival in aid of the Barnardo’s children’s charity group.

In 1988 24 boys from the Vienna Boys Choir performed a concert at Cartmel Priory. Proceeds were shared between the Priory Heritage and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Appeal.