Best job in the world: Manager sought for Yorkshire Dales hostel offering sanctuary to ramblers in converted church

Independent spirit in the Yorkshire Dales is fuelling a revolution in community campaigns as villagers buy their own church building to save it outright.

Now one of the best jobs ever could attract a flurry of applicants, with a manager sought to run a community asset in one of the most beautiful places worldwide.

Hudswell’s former St Michaels and All Angels Church, threatened as lost, is soon to open as a hostel for walkers and cyclists – and with its old pews carved into bunkbeds.

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To trustees of the Hudswell Community Charity, as finishing touches are made, it seems practice really does make perfect in this part of the Swale Valley.

St Michael’s Lodge is under going a major conversion from the former St Michaels and All Angels Church based in the village of Hudswell in North Yorkshire. Pictured Martin Booth, (Secretary), with Annie Sumner, (Treasurer of Hudswell Community Charity and Project Manager) Picture: James Hardisty.St Michael’s Lodge is under going a major conversion from the former St Michaels and All Angels Church based in the village of Hudswell in North Yorkshire. Pictured Martin Booth, (Secretary), with Annie Sumner, (Treasurer of Hudswell Community Charity and Project Manager) Picture: James Hardisty.
St Michael’s Lodge is under going a major conversion from the former St Michaels and All Angels Church based in the village of Hudswell in North Yorkshire. Pictured Martin Booth, (Secretary), with Annie Sumner, (Treasurer of Hudswell Community Charity and Project Manager) Picture: James Hardisty.

This is a village well-used to running its own, starting with the George & Dragon Inn – which would then go on to be rated the best in all the UK. Then there was the community-run shop, social housing, allotments and orchard.

“It's a question of growing in confidence, that's all,” said trustee Martin Booth. “When the church came up we thought ‘we can do this’. The village has got into the habit, when there's a problem in rural communities, of doing something about it.”

St Michaels Lodge looks to open in May. Hudswell Community Charity acquired the building from the Church last year, raising almost £900,000 in grant aid.

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Among backers is former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as MP, the Government's Community Ownership Fund, Shared Prosperity Fund through North Yorkshire Council, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Pilgrim Trust, Bernard Sunley Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation.

St Michael’s Lodge is under going a major conversion from the former St Michaels and All Angels Church based in the village of Hudswell in North Yorkshire.St Michael’s Lodge is under going a major conversion from the former St Michaels and All Angels Church based in the village of Hudswell in North Yorkshire.
St Michael’s Lodge is under going a major conversion from the former St Michaels and All Angels Church based in the village of Hudswell in North Yorkshire.

It was a hive of activity this week, with local tradespeople hard at work. The building features solar power for the roof, bedrooms in the nave, and a dining room in the former chancel. Spending locally fuels the area’s economy, said Mr Booth. Investing also means more trade at the pub.

Ultimately, he said, this is worth saving. Built 1885 in this idyllic Swaledale setting, the listed build is believed to be on the site of a medieval church dating from 1250.

It is close to the Coast to Coast walking path, popular with walkers and cyclists. Susan Ferns-Williams, chair of trustees, said it has taken several years and a lot of hard work, but members can now see the hostel's shape emerging from the former church.

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And now, with a manager sought to run the hostel, opportunity beckons. It would suit someone with experience in hospitality, trustees said, to start early in the New Year.

Hudswell Community Charity acquired the church from the Church Commissioners in 2023 and has raised almost £900,000 in grant aid from charitable trusts, local and central government sources, to pay for the conversion of the church to a hostel for walkers and cyclists. Pictured The memorial window for Geroge Pybus 1855 to 1880. Picture: James Hardisty.Hudswell Community Charity acquired the church from the Church Commissioners in 2023 and has raised almost £900,000 in grant aid from charitable trusts, local and central government sources, to pay for the conversion of the church to a hostel for walkers and cyclists. Pictured The memorial window for Geroge Pybus 1855 to 1880. Picture: James Hardisty.
Hudswell Community Charity acquired the church from the Church Commissioners in 2023 and has raised almost £900,000 in grant aid from charitable trusts, local and central government sources, to pay for the conversion of the church to a hostel for walkers and cyclists. Pictured The memorial window for Geroge Pybus 1855 to 1880. Picture: James Hardisty.

“We need to find an exceptional person, who will help us turn our vision for St Michael’s Lodge into a reality,” said Mr Booth. “This is an exciting opportunity to work with us to create a unique place to stay in the Yorkshire Dales.”

Email [email protected] for details.

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