The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, preached at St Bartholomew’s, West Witton on Sunday 27th July on his final visit to a parish in the Leeds Diocese before he retires.
At the united service for the churches in Penhill Benefice he analysed more deeply the Lord’s Prayer after telling the large congregation: ‘In my life prayer has too often been what I have to say to God rather than listening to what God has to say to me. Because prayer is, in the end, the reshaping of our minds by exposure to God, so that we begin to see God, the world and us through His eyes.’
Revd Tom Ringland, vicar of Penhill Benefice, said: ‘He encouraged us to stress the word “your” wherever it occurs in the Lord’s Prayer.’
Bishop Nick and his wife, Linda, spent time with members of the congregation after the service while enjoying the refreshments provided in the village hall. He became the first Bishop of Leeds in 2014 and will retire on November 30 2025.
Above: L-R Revd Tom Ringland, Rt Revd Nick Baines, and Revd Scott Lunn
Vicar's Letter: Revd Tom Ringland
Dear everyone,
I would like to put on record my thanks to all those who contribute to getting the bimonthly Penhill Beacon magazine written, edited and delivered to so many homes across our area and for free! I’m grateful to our advertisers for their support which helps with our finances. Our distributers are a faithful band who six times in the year tramp the streets to bring you your copy! The lions share of work is done by Christine, our administrator in generating content issue by issue and she is owed a debt of thanks from us all.
We have wondered at times how much of the magazine is read and by how many people across the 12 villages – also, if there were areas you would like to see the Beacon covering. It would be a huge help to us therefore if you were able to respond to the questionnaire included within this edition – even if you only respond to a little of it.
Responses can find there way back to Christine in a range of ways – via a church member, left at the back of church, posted or emailed … but all will be read with interest as we try and make the magazine a strong resource across our communities – the best that it can be!
As I reflect on the provision of a parish magazine it reminds me how important it is at all levels to keep in touch with one another. We are not meant to be isolated, and loneliness is a great scourge blighting the lives of many people. Strangely, even though we have more and more ways of contacting people, we are at the same time in danger of becoming more distant.
Back in the day, care was taken over letter writing, and then telephoning, (while watching the minutes closely) – but emails while valuable in so many ways have created a sense of distance. I marvel that we are able to speak to family abroad – and with live video – at no cost through apps such as WhatsApp, and these conversations remind us of the value of face to face meet-ups.
The Beacon, I believe, does a valuable service in sharing information and drawing attention to the activities of the churches in the Dale, hopefully with some other articles of interest, and I hope it will continue and grow.
At the same time I hope that these warmer summer months will allow many of us to catch up with friends and family face to face and to enjoy meeting new people too. I hope we may see many of you at one or more of our services and events as we keep in touch with our maker too!
PS – remember to look for the questionnaire!
Thank you
click here for the August-September edition of the Penhill Beacon
Churches Open:
Preston under Scar and Wensley - Daily
Aysgarth - daily
Castle Bolton - daily
Redmire - Daily
West Witton - daily
The Revd Scott Lunn was ordained at Wakefield Cathedral on 28th June 2025 and took part in the Penhill Benefice service as its new curate at St Andrew's, Aysgarth, on 29th July. Click here for his self introduction. Below: l-r Patrick Earle (Preston under Scar), Cherie Miles (West Witton), Revd Scott Lunn, Liz Piper (Aysgarth) and Revd Tom Ringland
Church Coffee Morning :10.30am -12 noon at Redmire Village Hall on Wednesday 3rd September
Church Afternoon Tea: 2-4pm, in Redmire Village Hall on Wednesday 17th September.
St. Bartholomew’s Church WW2 Exhibition: on Saturday 23rd August at West Witton to mark the 80th Anniversary of WW2.. Refreshments served in church
Prayer Fellowship
The Prayer Fellowship usually meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7.30 pm at Aysgarth Institute to pray together for the benefice, the wider church, local, national and international issues, and for personal concerns and each other. We begin with a Bible Reflection and short discussion. The next meetings are on 26th August and 23rd September.
The Very Narrow Bridge of Life:
Stories Through the Church Year by Revd Peter Jenner
This is a book about finding joy in a world that sometimes seems difficult to navigate. Through a collection of engaging stories, which were originally delivered as sermons, Peter invites us to reflect on our own faith journey and encourages us to be ‘fully part of the adventure of life…appreciative of God’s creation, of human interaction and delighting in what is and ought to be.’ Peter died shortly after retiring, and during his final months the book was edited by Louise Redshaw who lives in Carperby. Profits from the sale of the book will be shared between St Andrew’s Church, Aysgarth, and the Stuart Warren Foundation which supports a PhD student from the South African Region to study Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. Copies are available for £10 from:
Christian Aid: At the Benefice Service at St Andrew’s, on 9th March with The Rt Revd and Rt. Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, The Bishop of London a total of £257.50 was raised for Christian Aid.
The Lent Lunches raised a total of £1,125.04 for Christian Aid Lent Appeal with their work towards a world without poverty. In addition, the Food for Thought evenings raised £432 for Medecins sans Frontieres (Gaza) and £248 for Parkinsons (UK).
Thank you to everyone who took part and contributed in any way.
Aysgarth Gift Day
The total donated for St. Andrew’s Gift Weekend was £3,365. The PCC thanks all who contributed.
Castle Bolton Print For Sale
If you would like to buy a print of St. Oswald’s Church at Castle Bolton priced at £20 which are mounted and cellophane wrapped please contact the office (01969 663097) for further information.
Aysgarth church -
The following are now available online -
War Memorials and Graves at Aysgarth church
The printed illustrated guide to War Memorials and Graves in the churchyard is available in Aysgarth church.
Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line.
The line is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044. Callers will hear a special greeting from the Archbishop before being able to choose from a range of options, including hymns, prayers, reflections and advice on COVID-19. Please let your family and friends, who are not on internet, know about this. More information click here
Hear To Help
Just 'B' is offering emotional wellbeing support to people in the Harrogate District, Hambleton and Richmondshire, with its Hear to Help phoneline, available to anyone who may need help with such issues as grief, low mood, isolation, anxiety or isolation. The line is manned by trained staff and volunteers and is available seven days a week, 8am-8pm. For more information see Hear to Help.