What is on this month, the latest news, the village notice board, and The Link — the parish magazine that quietly binds together the six villages of the Walkingham Hill Benefice ten times a year.
A monthly parish magazine binding together the six villages of the Walkingham Hill Benefice — published since long before any of us can quite remember.
Walkingham Hill Benefice
the parish magazine
Serving the parishes of
Arkendale · Copgrove ·
Farnham · Ferrensby ·
Scotton · Staveley
An editorial representation of the masthead. The printed cover varies issue by issue.
The Link is the monthly parish magazine of the Walkingham Hill Benefice, published ten times a year. Each issue carries a wealth of practical information: church services across the five benefice churches, parish council notes, social and fund-raising events, articles, advertisements from local trades, and the small pieces of news that hold a working village community together.
A year’s subscription is £10 and brings ten issues delivered to your door. Anyone who would like to take it — or to renew — should contact the local distributor for their village.
Farnham · Local contact
Kate handles subscriptions, deliveries and queries about The Link in Farnham — for new readers, lapsed subscribers, or anyone who wants to contribute an article or a notice from the village.
How to get in touch Please contact Kate through the parish meeting, or speak to her directly in the village.
Article submissions
Editorial: coethelink@gmail.com
Deadline — the 15th of the preceding month.
Advertising
Upcoming events in the village, the church and the wider benefice. Confirm with The Link or the church porch noticeboard (next to the phone box).
Updated periodically
Indicative dates and events. The current monthly calendar — with confirmed times, hosts and any last-minute changes — is published in The Link and on the church porch noticeboard.
Recent news from the parish meeting, the church and the wider benefice.
Jun 2026 · Parish
Farnham’s new parish website went live in June 2026 — a complete rebuild with a fuller heritage page, a guide to our neighbouring villages, the parish minutes archive, and the village’s archive photographs digitised at last. Comments and corrections to the parish meeting are very welcome.
May 2026 · Parish
The spring Parish Meeting was held on Tuesday 5 May 2026. The minutes are now published in the minutes archive. The next meeting is expected in November — date to be confirmed.
Mar 2026 · Benefice
The Sunday service rota across the five benefice churches has been refreshed for the summer term. The current rota is on the porch board and in The Link.
Items may be slightly out of date between issues of The Link. For the very latest, see the Walkingham Hill Benefice Facebook page.
Standing notices — the things that are on the porch board year-round.
Minutes of every parish meeting and annual accounts are available on the Parish Minutes & Accounts page.
The community defibrillator is mounted at The Old Phone Box on the green — unlocked, available 24 hours. Always call 999 first.
An informal village email list circulates urgent local news — lost dogs, road closures, missing parcels. Ask to be added through the parish meeting.
The church porch noticeboard at St Oswald’s carries the up-to-date benefice rota, the current month’s diary, and any planning notices.
Ten issues a year, £10 delivered — arranged through Kate Robinson, the village’s local contact for the magazine.
Most of Farnham lies within the 1993 conservation area. Works to listed buildings or to trees may need consent — see the council services below.
Concerns about traffic, potholes or hedgerow trimming on adopted lanes go to North Yorkshire Council’s highways team.
If you find something, leave a note on the porch board or post on the benefice Facebook page. Most things turn up.
An informal village litter pick is held two or three times a year. Equipment is held in the church porch — volunteers always welcome.
Farnham Parish Meeting is a volunteer-led community forum open to all electors of the parish. These principles set out the simple, shared standards we follow to keep our meetings inclusive, fair, transparent and sustainable for everyone. They are aligned with the North Yorkshire Council Parish Charter and the seven Nolan Principles of Public Life.
All key decisions, including appointments to roles, are made at properly convened Parish Meetings after reasonable notice has been given. Informal discussions or private messages do not replace the formal process.
Anyone may put themselves forward for a role at the meeting. No individual has the authority to pre-approve or discourage candidates outside the meeting. Where there is more than one nomination, the meeting decides by vote of those present.
The Chair is elected annually by those present at the Annual Parish Meeting. The role is to facilitate fair discussion and ensure proper process, not to direct outcomes. The Chair is accountable to the Parish Meeting and may be replaced by the same open process.
Volunteers are never assumed to be available or willing. Any responsibilities are discussed openly and only accepted by clear agreement.
We recognise that not everyone uses the same channels or feels comfortable speaking in meetings. Important information is shared through multiple routes, and we make space for considered contributions as well as immediate comments. We value those who listen, plan and follow through as much as those who speak.
We are committed to eliminating discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity and ensuring our meetings and communications are accessible to all residents.
Disagreement is natural in community life, but we conduct ourselves with courtesy. Speaking over others, personal accusations, applying pressure or assuming motives damages trust and has no place in our meetings.
Anyone participating in discussions or decisions must declare any personal or pecuniary interest and, where required, not take part in the decision.
No individual may speak or act on behalf of the village or the Parish Meeting unless explicitly authorised to do so at a properly convened meeting.
Volunteers may step down from any role at any time without pressure or expectation of detailed justification.
As a rural village, we share a responsibility for Farnham’s landscape, wildlife, village green and surrounding habitats. Our decisions reflect care for both people and nature, and for the long-term well-being of the village.
Meeting agendas, minutes, decisions and any financial information will be made available to all residents in a timely manner, in line with the Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities.
These principles are reviewed and reaffirmed each year at the Annual Parish Meeting.
Day-to-day links for residents — refuse and recycling, planning applications, conservation, highways, and the benefice’s community pages.
Collection days, recycling rules, garden-waste subscriptions and bulky-waste pickup. Enter your HG5 postcode for a tailored calendar.
Open serviceFarnham’s 1993 conservation area, the Article 4 directions, and the rules for works to listed homes — plus the local register of all listed buildings within the former Harrogate district.
Conservation rulesSearch current and past planning applications across the parish on North Yorkshire Council’s Simple Search — view plans and documents, follow a decision, and comment on proposals near you.
Search applicationsThe unitary authority since April 2023 — council tax, highways, libraries, schools, social care, planning. The starting point for most public services.
Open councilReport a pothole, a faulty streetlight, a damaged sign or an overgrown verge on adopted highways. Photographs and a postcode help.
Report a faultAll links open in a new tab. If a link is broken or you spot a service we should add, please let the parish meeting know.
The notice board is just one part of village life. Step back into the rest of Farnham — the church, the gallery, the heritage page, the lanes round about.