Welcome - York & Hull District - The Methodist Church

Welcome to the York and Hull Methodist District Website.

You may have arrived here because you are searching for something about our District, which stretches from Whitby in the north to Goole and Hull in the south, from the North Sea coast to Masham in the west, or you may have landed here by chance.

We hope that the information in these pages is of interest, giving as it does a snapshot of some of our activities and relationships. However, it cannot be as good as actually visiting the area and seeing for yourself this beautiful part of God’s world, and catching a glimpse of the work of Methodists here, witnessing alongside other Christians locally and throughout the world.

Every blessing

Stephen Burgess
Chair
York & Hull Methodist District

Copy of the article about the York & Hull District from the Methodist Conference Handbook & Website 2008.

The York and Hull District is one of the larger geographical districts in Methodism and, until the London mergers, had the largest English circuit in Hull (West). The district encompasses the three cities of York, Hull and Ripon. York, the historical northern capital of England - Eboracum - has connections with the Emperor Constantine, Vikings, Guy Fawkes, Margaret Clitherow, and is the home of Dame Judi Dench. The history of Hull brings us into contact with Andrew Marvell, William Wilberforce and William Clowes and in modern times with John Godber (Hull Truck Theatre Co) and Ripon, the oldest city in the UK, with St Wilfrid, Lewis Caroll and Wilfrid Owen.

The ecclesiastical history of our region is tremendous and you can walk the hills, moors and dales and feel very close to the Synod of Whitby at Whitby Abbey, Caedmon at his cross, the monks at Fountains Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Bylands Abbey and with Christians of all denominations in modern day churches with long traditions, like Selby Abbey and the Cathedrals of Ripon and York, and Ampleforth Abbey.

In many ways the district is a microcosm of England with its long coastline, large rural areas, its industrial centres and major tourist industry. From the flat plains of Holderness and the Vale of York to the Wolds and the heather clad moors, the scenery is breathtaking.

In Scarborough you will find a historic spa town, one of the first English seaside resorts, the home of Alan Ayckbourn and with connections to the Brontë sisters and Charles Laughton. If you want to go a little further north you find in Whitby not only the story of Captain Cook but Dracula too! He has become a recent tourist attraction. Further south there is Robin Hood’s Bay, Bridlington and many smaller seaside resorts with a wealth of smuggling tales to tell (we weren't always as law abiding as we are now!).

Today, our communities struggle with the problems which beset the farming and fishing industries whilst rising to meet the demands of the modern world in providing huge gas storage facilities and better communications networks. As we welcome you to Conference in our district we invite you to a place where you can walk the paths of the monks as they set out to found Fountains Abbey or where you can drive across the Humber Bridge, an amazing piece of modern architecture; to a time and place of beauty and quiet contemplation on the Moors and in the Dales or a visit to our vibrant, lively, never sleeping cities. It is a district of contrasts and complements, the pride of cricket and rugby.

Working ecumenically in the district is a big priority and there is plenty of opportunity both around the two Cathedrals of York and Ripon and in the rural areas where declining populations demand innovative solutions from their Christian communities. We work especially closely with both the Church of England and our new covenanted partners the United Reformed Church to provide a Christian presence wherever possible.

Those who were born here and those who have moved to our district feel a great pride in being privileged to live in such a beautiful place, but above all it is the tradition of Yorkshire hospitality which binds us together, welcomes the stranger and strives to offer the best we possibly can to our friends and visitors that makes this a very special place to be. So welcome to the York and Hull District. We hope you will find time to get to know us amidst all the business of Conference.