Welcome to the Church of St Lawrence, Morland. A map showing the parish boundary is available on the AChurchNearYou site.
We are a lively, welcoming church, offering a variety of services within the broad Anglican tradition, drawing from the best of the church’s liturgical and musical resources. Services are led by the benefice team, including clergy and lay members. We aim to have a roughly equal number of Eucharistic and non-Eucharistic services. We welcome you whether you are a long-established church-goer or are still ‘feeling your way’. Do be sure to join us for coffee and make yourself known to us.
Morland Church has a long-standing musical tradition, with a small but enthusiastic choir and a 2-manual organ by J J Binns (1913). We welcome anyone interested in joining the choir: any necessary training can be offered.
We issue a weekly email information update. If you would like to be added to the circulation list, please contact us, being sure to leave your email address.
Information about church and village events is posted to the Facebook: Morland and Newby Community Facebook Group.
Services
Every Sunday at 11am. Content varies.
5th Sunday joint benefice service, location varies.
See the weekly services page for information.
We have a midweek service of Holy Communion every Wednesday at 10am. This is a friendly, said service, often followed by coffee and chat at the Millyard Café.
Other activities
We enjoy excellent relations with our village primary school, of which the minister and other church members are governors. The school visit the church for special occasions, and the younger children walk down for a 'Jesus and Me' (JAM) session once a month.
A youth group (Year 7 upwards) meets weekly in the Village Hall. Please get in touch for more information.
A 'Tea, Coffee and Chat' session is held in the Village Hall every Thursday morning, 9.30-11am.
Visiting
The church is open every day during daylight hours. Come and spend some time in prayer and quiet reflection, or pick up one of the handy information boards and spot our points of historical and architectural interest. If you come on a pleasant day and are looking for a quiet corner, there is a bench in the churchyard, behind the yew tree to the south of the main door, where you can sit privately.
History and architecture
The church is a listed building, Grade I. The oldest part is the tower, which is Saxon in style, the only such tower in the North-West. Canon Markham attributed it to the mid-C11th, but it may be as late as 1120, when the church was gifted to St Mary's Abbey, York. The upper portion of the tower is later, perhaps as late as 1588, when the bells were cast, but the transition in the stonework is almost imperceptible. Every century up to the present has made alterations to suit the needs and aspirations of the day. The information boards give you an outline of our history. The guide book, ‘Past Alive’ (£5 – copies on the rack) provides lots more detail.
Morland Choristers' Camp
Morland church hosts the annual Morland Choristers' Camp, a week of singing and fun, which aims to introduce young people aged 9-17 to the Christian faith via sacred and secular music and outdoor activities. Read more at www.morland.org.uk