All are welcome at Ripon Cathedral’s Plough Sunday Service, supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society on Sunday 12th January 2025.
The service will offer blessings for the year ahead to farming families and will offer a poignant sense of solidarity in recognition of the vital role that farming families across Yorkshire play in producing food and managing the landscape.
Ancient origins
The Plough Sunday Service is an ancient festival which was revived by the Victorians.
Traditionally it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany. In the Medieval period, when there was only one plough in each village, the village plough was brought into church for a blessing before ploughing began on Plough Monday, the first working day after the 12 days of Christmas.
In days when work was scarce in winter, the observance looked forward to the time of sowing with the promise of a harvest to come.
2025 service details
The Dean of Ripon, The Very Rev John Dobson, will lead the service at Ripon Cathedral on Sunday 12th January.
An address will be given by The Right Reverend John Inge who recently retired as Bishop of Worcester, a ploughshare will be presented at the service by members of the Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs for a blessing by The Very Rev Dobson, and a reading will be given by a member of Future Farmers of Yorkshire.
Outside the Cathedral will be a tractor provided by Ripon Farm Services. Local representatives of farming charities will also be in attendance.
A share of the proceeds from a collection will go towards the invaluable work of FCN (Farming Community Network).
Anyone wishing to attend the Plough Service at Ripon Cathedral is invited to gather from 2.30pm for hot pork rolls courtesy of Angela Hullah of Tancred Farm Shop, and hot drinks kindly provided by Ripon Cathedral, before the service gets underway an hour later at 3.30pm.
