The United Benefice

St Mary the Virgin, Great Ouseburn

St Mary the Virgin plays a central role in the life of Great Ouseburn. The church is open at all times, and weekly services are held jointly with Holy Trinity, Little Ouseburn. Children take a full part in all services, sharing readings, intercessions and other duties with adults.

Carol Services, a Crib Service and a Good Friday Workshop are enjoyed by all, and older members of the community meet monthly for Coffee and Communion. The churches share a thriving choir of 20 or more voices, RSCM-affiliated and rehearsing each Tuesday evening, which enhances worship on the first Sunday of each month and sings for weddings, funerals and special occasions throughout the year.

The church probably dates from the 12th century. Its most distinctive features are the unbuttressed tower with round-headed slit windows and the Norman tower arch. The nave and aisles were rebuilt in 1823, retaining the mainly 13th-century arcades and the 15th-century chancel arch; a further restoration in 1883 added the south chapel for the Thompson family of Kirby Hall.

The outstanding Good Shepherd window in the bell tower was designed by Carl Almquist after 1866 — look closely and you can see his Swedish roots in the background. The two bells were cast by Edward Seller in 1738 and 1750; the clock was installed in 1898 by public subscription to mark Queen Victoria's Jubilee.

The old churchyard is managed for wildlife, home to an increasing diversity of wildflowers and British native trees planted in memory of loved ones. A complete history is available in the church.

Holy Trinity, Little Ouseburn

Holy Trinity, its mausoleum and attendant yews, and the nearby Georgian bridge are charmingly set on a bend in the road in a landscape that retains much of the feeling of 18th-century parkland. The church is a Grade I listed building — one of the most significant historic designations possible.

Anne Brontë sketched Holy Trinity while worshipping here in the mid-19th century with the Robinson family, by whom she was employed as Governess — a connection that has drawn visitors for generations.

History

The tower and chancel date from the 11th century; the south aisle, arcades and chancel arch from the 14th century; and the battlements and pinnacles on the tower from the 15th century. In 1874–75 the north aisle was rebuilt to provide an organ chamber and vestry by the distinguished Lancaster architects Paley and Austin.

Notable features include the east window — described by Pevsner as being "of more than ordinary interest" — with intersecting tracery dating from around 1320 and stained glass inserted after 1928 in memory of the Ambler family. The choir stalls of 1875 incorporate three fine late-medieval ends with shields, birds, tracery and inscriptions.

To the southwest stands a mausoleum built for Henry Thompson of Kirby Hall, who died in 1760. Purchased and fully restored by the Friends of Thompson Mausoleum with English Heritage support, it was gifted to York Conservation Trust in 2009.

Christ Church, Marton cum Grafton

Christ Church was built in 1875, replacing an earlier 12th-century church that stood about a mile from Marton; many materials from the original building are incorporated in the new one. Built of stone in the Early English pointed style, it consists of a rectangular nave with a double bell-cot on the west gable, north porch, chancel and south-east vestry.

On the first Sunday of each month a Parish Praise service is held, with tea, coffee and homemade cake or biscuits after the service. The second Sunday brings a said Eucharist and the third a sung Eucharist, enhanced by our excellent choir, Collavoce, which also performs at local concerts.

Community

The church has close ties with the village school. The Parish News magazine (£1 per month) covers local news and events throughout the benefice — please let us know if you would like a copy delivered. The church is always open to new ideas and is grateful to those who choose to remember it in their legacies, ensuring its ministry is sustained into the future.

Church of the Ascension, Whixley

The Church of the Ascension stands on an elevated site at the edge of Whixley, a conservation area village in a rural and agricultural setting, with views across the surrounding countryside. Weekly services are attended by 25 to 35 parishioners, with annual services for Lent, Ascension, Harvest and Christmas, and the church serves the wider community for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals.

History

A Grade II* listed building, the church has its roots in the 12th and 13th centuries. It comprises a west tower, nave, north and south aisles, south porch, chancel, north-east organ chamber and boiler house. Norman connections are clearly visible in the font and the stone-framed north window, supplemented by Victorian restorations and a thorough 20th-century programme of works.

Among the notable features are several stained-glass windows, remains of mediaeval paintwork on the stone arcade at the west end, and memorial plaques on the walls and window ledges. The building has deep historical associations with the Tancred family of Whixley Hall, whose marble tomb occupies the south-west corner adjacent to the bell tower entrance. The peal of six bells is in excellent condition and played regularly by resident ringers and visiting teams.

St Thomas's, Green Hammerton

St Thomas's Chapel of Ease lies on York Road, with the Church of England Primary School to the rear. It falls within the Parish of Whixley with Green Hammerton, and was granted Grade II listed status in 2008.

History

Built in 1873–76 on land donated by Henry Farrer, Lord of the Manor, at the instigation of the Reverend William Valentine, the chapel was designed by the distinguished Victorian architect Sir George Gilbert Scott — also responsible for the Albert Memorial and St Pancras station. Its purpose was to relieve parishioners of the walk to Whixley Parish Church.

The organ chantry was added in 1899 by public subscription. The church contains high-quality stained-glass windows by nationally known firms including Clayton and Bell (both trained initially by Gilbert Scott) and James Powell. It is mentioned in Nikolaus Pevsner's The Buildings of England.

St Thomas's is open to visitors for viewing or private meditation during daylight hours, and is available for Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals.

Services

• 1st Sunday — Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer), 9.00am · Sunday School, 10.30am
• 2nd Sunday — Parish Praise (family service, no communion), 10.30am
• 3rd Sunday — Holy Communion (Common Worship)
• 4th Sunday — Combined Holy Communion at Whixley, 9.00am
• 5th Sunday — Rota basis across the five Benefice churches

Ministry Team

Service Rota

Our current service rota is available to download below.

Baptism

We warmly welcome enquiries about Baptism (Christening) for children and adults across all our churches. Please contact the Vicar in the first instance.

Forthcoming Events

Details of events taking place across our churches and villages in the coming months.