A great celebration of rural life took place this weekend with our annual Plough Sunday Service, in partnership with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society with an address by the Archbishop of York, The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell. In the midst of the service the plough was blessed by Bishop Anna, the Bishop of Ripon.

The service was led by Dean John who said, ‘It is always a pleasure to host this service with the YAS and we are delighted that we were joined by the Archbishop of York whose message that farming and caring for the land is a spiritual business was hugely appreciated by the large congregation which came from across the region.

‘It was very good to have His Majesty The King represented at the service by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mrs Jo Ropner and to welcome the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Sir Andrew Lawson-Tancred, as we celebrated the contribution of farmers and those who work in rural businesses, asking God for His blessing upon them.’

Photo: Bill Swan