THANKYOU to John Sheard who of correctly identified last week’s guest church, pictured below, as Bolton Priory, Bolton Abbey.

Mr Sheard says he has worked at the Bolton Abbey Estate for more than 30 years and believes the priory works extremely well under its newly appointed priest. “I hope to continue worshipping there for more years yet. It is extremely well attended,” he says.

The Rev Nicholas Mercer became Rector of the Priory Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert, Bolton Abbey almost exactly a year ago. He was previously the Rector of the Falkland Island.

Bolton Priory is said to be one of the finest medieval churches in the north of England.

Part of the Leeds Anglican Diocese, its website says since its foundation in the 12th century, it has been a site of continuous Christian worship, surviving Scottish raids, the Black Death, the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the religious turbulence of later centuries.

Throughout the centuries, men and women have been baptised, have married, have worshipped and have been buried within its precincts.

The land to build the priory was given near the village of Bolton by Lady Alice de Rumilly of Skipton Castle - ‘for the salvation of my soul and those of my predecessors and successors’.

The original Augustinian canons who built the priory soon became accepted by the villagers and the people of the surrounding area.

They not only lived together like monks but were also ordained priests, and so were very much involved in village life. They preached, taught, ran a hospital, sheltered travellers and ministered to the local community who came to worship in the Priory.

Suggestions for this weeks’s guest church, pictured above, to news@cravenherald.co.uk