Penwortham St Marks Church
A small 1850s stone church in Penwortham, resting place of Clare Valley pioneer John Horrocks.
The tiny stone church of St Mark at Penwortham is one of the Clare Valley's oldest, and its churchyard holds the grave of John Horrocks, the explorer-pioneer who first settled this part of the valley in 1840. Penwortham was the region's earliest European settlement, and this quiet corner is where its story begins.
The church sits a few steps from the Riesling Trail, making it an easy and atmospheric pause for cyclists — a moment of shade, stone and history between cellar doors. Horrocks' grave, and the story of the explorer accidentally shot by his own camel, add an unlikely twist to the visit.
Understated and genuine, it rewards anyone curious about how the Clare Valley came to be.
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Image credits
- St Mark's Anglican Church, Penwortham.JPG by Marionlad , CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons