The Village Community Website for

FLAMBOROUGH

Welcome to Flamborough

Navigation: Churches.

The Parish Church of St. Oswald, King and Martyr

The Old Lighthouse

The History
It has been speculated that there was probably a church serving the settlement on the Headland from well before AD 1066. There is no mention of a Church in the Doomsday Book and the earliest documentary evidence is the grant of the church of "Flaynburgh" to the Priory at Bridlington in about AD 1150. The initial building (consisting of a Nave and Chancel) was probably of the sort of construction still to be seen on the North wall i.e. built of stones and cobles from the beach. The North and South aisles were added in the 13th Century.

The dedication of the Church to one of the great Northumbrian Saints St Oswald (d.AD 642) has been used as an argument to for the existence of a church (almost certainly a wooden construction) from at least the 7^th century.

North Window

Window in the North aisle. Photograph by kind permission of Bob Todd

The nave of the present church has a classical Norman Chancel Arch, the full effect of which is masked by the Rood Screen which it is fairly certain came from the Priory at the dissolution. Indeed the screen in the South Aisle is clearly made up of bits and pieces of woodcarving and panelling from the Priory as is the panelling around the priest's vestry.

Initially, the church dating from the 11^th century, would have been used as a daughter Church (one of probably several in the area) to the great Augustinian Priory at Bridlington. Until the Reformation and the dissolution of the Monasteries the Church would have been served by a stipendiary Curate. Thereafter, and until the present day, the Church has been served by a Vicar. Over the centuries the Church Building has undergone many changes and rebuilding and restoration.

The most recent addition to the Church fabric was the installation of two additional bells in the tower in AD1990 making a peal of six bells, which still call the people to worship.

The Anglican Parish of Flamborough, in common with many other parishes, has had to endure change and combine with other parishes in a united benefice.. About twenty years ago it became combined with the Parish of Bempton and, more recently two additional parishes (Reighton and Speeton) have also been incorporated.

Whilst the Church building is a rich store of architectural and historical features of interest there is undoubtedly a special ambience which visitors cannot fail to notice and this born, no doubt, from the centuries of prayer and worship which have taken place in a building which has served as the spiritual heart of the community and symbol of its existence over the centuries.

Services

Today, as one of four churches of the Headland Benefice, services are still maintained on Thursdays (Holy Communion at 10.30am) and Sundays (said Holy Communion at 8am and Sung Eucharist at 10.30am). Evensong is sung on Sundays as announced. Details of regular and special services are set out on the Church Notice Board. All are very welcome.

Text and picture of church courtesy of:
Fr. Bruce Le G Petfield - Vicar of Flamborough and Bempton 1987-1994

St Oswald's Church has its own web pages as part of the new headland benefice web site www.headlandbenefice.co.uk

Flamborough Methodist Church

The History
The present Methodist Church situated on the corner of Carter Lane and Chapel Street in Flamborough was opened on 13^th December 1975. It replaced a much larger Chapel on the same site. The Bourne Primitive Methodist Chapel was opened in 1874 and closed on it's centenary in 1974. Before this one there was yet another Primitive Methodist Chapel again on the same site. That one was opened in 1821.

The Wesleyan Methodists were also present in Flamborough. The Wesleyan Chapel was built just a little later than the Bourne Chapel and it was situated not far away in Chapel Street.

Methodist Union took place in 1932. As in many villages there was some dispute about which chapel would be kept and which closed if all Methodists were to worship together! It did not happen for a long time after 1932 but finally the Bourne Chapel was kept and not so long afterwards it was declared unsafe and had to be pulled down.

Today

Today there is an active Methodist community and all are most welcome to join in its worship and fellowship on Sundays and midweek.

There is a service every Sunday at 11.45am and an half-hour midweek service on Thursdays at 11am. Coffee and biscuits are served after the services.

Then each Tuesday there is a coffee morning from 10am until noon and on Thursday afternoons (2.15pm) the Scrabble Club meets.

Fortnightly from October to April the coffee morning is rounded off with a speaker - on various topics - at 11am. This is known as the Winter Fellowship.

The church is part of the Bridlington Methodist Circuit and the minister is the Rev Rosemary Nicholls, tel (01262) 673159.

Text and pictures courtesy of:
members of the Methodist Congregation

This website has been set up by Flamborough Community Environmental Action Group with funding through:

English Nature and The Shell Better Britain Campaign.