Parisioners at Christ Church, Skipton, and St Mary the Virgin, Carleton, turned out in number at the last weekend of June, 2025, to welcome our new Curate, the Reverend Clare Wood.

Clare was ordained at a ceremony at Wakefield Cathedral on Saturday, June 28th presided over by the Bishop of Leeds, The Right Reverend Nick Baines.

The following day she celebrated her first service at Christ Church and St Mary's, followed by a lunch to welcome her.

She will serve as Assistant Curate of the Benefice. 

For the past three years, she has been training for ordination at St Hild College.

Previous to this, she has worked as a maths teacher in East Sussex, a hotel manager in France and a lecturer in Kazakhstan. 

Clare and her husband Matt moved to Yorkshire in 2020 when he started his curacy.

 Since then she has been enjoying exploring the footpaths of the Dales, paying particular attention to those that lead to tea rooms and pubs. 

She is very much looking forward to getting to know another part of ‘God’s own country’.

Clare joins our ministry team of our Vicar, the Reverend Kathia Shoesmith, our curate, the Reverend Emma Halliwell, the Reverend Malcolm Foy, and Reader Mrs Anthea Foy.