A Yorkshire vicar is taking a step back in time - over 800 years, in fact - by living as a hermit as part of a unique celebration marking a major milestone in his parish's history.
Rev Philip Ball, vicar of St Mary’s Church in the East Yorkshire village of Hook, will don robes and a hood to assume the role of a medieval hermit during a special re-enactment weekend from 16 to 18 May.
The event is part of year-long festivities commemorating the 800th anniversary of this historic Christian place of worship, which dates back to 1225. The building is an architectural gem, but like so many older churches, it is in need of some tender loving care.
St Mary’s began its life as a chantry chapel, where priests were paid to chant masses for the dead, before becoming a parish church after the Reformation.
Fittingly, records show that the first known resident of the village was a hermit who was granted land in 1190 to build a hermitage and a road leading to the nearby river.
Rev Ball’s temporary retreat into medieval life will see him sleeping outdoors in a basic shelter, weather permitting, and acting as gatekeeper to the historical re-enactors’ camp.
“It is not often you get to have an 800th birthday party and try to reflect on, capture and celebrate how over 800 years a place has contributed to so many lives,” he said. “But it is the privilege of the people of the village of Hook and particularly those with close involvement to the church to be doing this.”
Never one to shy away from a bit of medieval fun, the vicar has even volunteered to go into the stocks and be pelted with wet sponges.
Despite the joyful celebrations, St Mary’s faces financial challenges. Listed on the national “Heritage at Risk” register, the church has undergone nearly £200,000 in renovations, including a kitchenette and disabled toilet. But urgent work remains, with a further £300,000 needed to replace the boiler and repair the roof and stonework.
Rev Ball praised local fundraising efforts, noting that his generous parishioners have already raised £35,000. The vision, he explained, is to refurbish a cherished place of worship while also providing facilities that benefit the whole community.
“We had hoped to get it all done by now, but the funding landscape is very difficult at the moment,” he said. “What we want is a building that serves people’s needs - that’s the essence of the project.”
