About Us

Welcome to the website for the parish of Skipton on Swale, covering the villages of Skipton Bridge and Catton.

We hope you find the information you need here. Please do get in touch if there is anything further that we can help you with.

St John's, Skipton on Swale

Skipton on Swale is part of the benefice of Topcliffe, Baldersby with Dishfoth, Dalton and Skipton on Swale.

St John's Church stands just off the A61 on the Thirsk side of Skipton Bridge. It is a beautifully simple little church built in the 1830s, serving the tiny villages of Skipton and Catton (just further down the River Swale) and the surrounding farming land. It is set in its own churchyard, with an extension to the churchyard just through a connecting gate.

Though the church is not normally kept open during the day, we would be delighted to arrange for you to have access to it if you wish to visit.

Services at St John's

St John's has a steady routine of Holy Communion once a fortnight, on the 2nd and 4th Sundays in the month. The rite is Common Worship, traditional language, with hymns on the 4th Sunday. In addition, seasonal services are held at Harvest and Christmas times, and there is a mid-week service of Compline during Lent. Full details will be found on the Church noticeboard in the porch, or in Cross Talk (the parish magazine).

 Also at St John's

During the warmer months, look out for the road signs for Open Church, generally on the first Saturday in the month, from 10.00am to 2.00pm. A warm welcome awaits you. Do drop in for fellowship and refreshments, to see the church, and to browse the books and the various 'stalls'. Can you resist the home-made cake???

Services in the Benefice

Although there is not a service in every church in the benefice every week, there is a regular pattern, as follows, and a warm welcome awaits everyone at each of the churches:

1st Sundays in the month:

  9.15am   Dalton                          Holy Communion or All Age Worship

10.45am   Baldersby St James     Holy Communion

  6.30pm   Topcliffe                       Choral Evensong

2nd Sundays in the month:

  9.15am    Skipton on Swale       Holy Communion

10.45am    Topcliffe                       Holy Communion

3rd Sundays in the month

  9.15am      Rainton                      Prayer Breakfast

10.45am     Topcliffe                      Holy Communion

  6.30pm       Dalton                       Evensong or Holy Communion 

4th Sundays in the month

  9.15am      Skipton on Swale      Holy Communion 

10.45am      Baldersby St James   Holy Communion

10.45am      Topcliffe                     Choral Matins

  7.00pm      Topcliffe                      Taize service

5th Sundays in the month

  9.15am     United Benefice Service of Holy Communion in rotation at the different churches.

Mid-week Communion is held every Thursday at 11.00am at Topcliffe Church.

Messy Church, for all ages, is held quarterly at Baldersby St James' Church. Whatever your age, whether you come with a child or not, do come and have some fun as we explore faith through worship, crafts and food.

Church of England Schools. We are delighted to have three good Church Primary Schools in the Benefice - at Baldersby, Dishforth (Village), and Topcliffe. See their websites for further details.

Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals To make an enquiry, please contact the Vicar, The Rev'd Susanne Jukes, via the contact page.

Details of the other churches in the benefice can be found on their own A Church Near You website.

We look forward to meeting you.