BEST YORKSHIRE LIFE
On the Yorkshire Life radar: events, openings and happenings across Yorkshire
BOOK EVENT
Connect with the past, present and future of ultra running when female record holder for the Pennine Way and winner of the 2019 Summer Spine Race, Sabrina Verjee is interviewed by Yorkshire Life writer and Peak Performance – the Sporting History of Ingleborough and the Three Peaks author, Victoria Benn, in this free event at Rare Mags in Stockport.
June 15, 7pm. raremags.co.uk
PHOTO:©TONYBARTHOLOMEW
FAMILY WALK
Celebrate the Year of the Coast with a family treasure hunt on the glorious coast at Ravenscar. The walk is about two miles long on a circuit which visits the Peak Alum Works site and takes about two hours.
June 11, 10.30am-2pm. northyorkmoors.org.uk
Girl power
In the heart of York, the oldest-living convent in the UK has unveiled restoration work of its stunning 18th-century chapel, which was built in complete secrecy when Catholicism was still illegal.
This work takes place approximately every 10 years at the Bar Convent, to preserve the fascinating chapel.
The convent was established in 1686.
At the time, it was one of only two permanent Catholic communities to open after Henry VIII closed them all down, both of which were run by the sisters of this York congregation.
Dr Hannah Thomas, special collections manager at the Bar Convent, continues: ‘In 1749, Mother Superior Ann Aspinal, had grand plans to construct a beautiful chapel for the sisters and school pupils to use, but Catholicism was still illegal so this was extremely risky.
‘She very cleverly found ways to disguise the construction work taking place inside the house by undertaking an ambitious and costly project that transformed the whole building, adding a whole new façade to the building and a Georgian parlour – both of which can still be seen today.
‘This work to the outside of the house also handily enabled her to disguise the real building project taking place inside the house.
‘The sisters also hid entries within the account books so that, if the authorities were to glance through them, they wouldn’t find anything suspicious.
‘The work took 20 years to complete, and when finished, the chapel was quoted as being “the most commodious and beautiful in these parts”.
‘It is remarkable that this chapel reached completion without ever being detected by the authorities, let alone that it still survives today – and remains a place of continued worship and welcome.’
The Bar Convent in Blossom Street, York is open to the public.
Find out more by visiting: bar-convent.org.uk >
BIG-HEARTED AWARDS
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