Contacts in clergy vacancy in the Okehampton group of parishes

The Okehampton Group of Inwardleigh, Okehampton and Belstone with Sticklepath are part of the wider Northmoor Team.  The team has 13 parishes with 16 churches/chapels in them.

The main contact for the Okehampton area of the team, who can direct any enquiries, is Ruth Cartlidge, our volunteer administrator. Her email is [email protected], and her phone numbers are 01837 53364 and 07551655424. Our Team Rector has recently retired, so our Rural Dean, the Rev. David Spence, has overall responsibility in the vacancy.  As he also has responsibility for his own parishes, please ask Ruth Cartlidge for his contact information.

The Parishes of Okehampton, Inwardleigh, and Belstone (including Sticklepath)

Okehampton parish has the main 'church on the hill' - All Saints' Church, and traditionally the small chapel in the centre of Okehampton town - St James' chapel.  We have the church of St Petroc, at Inwardleigh - a church with beautiful views over Dartmoor.  Our most Eastern parish in the team is Belstone, which has St Mary's the Virgin.  The parish includes the village of Sticklepath, whose church is also dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.

At the end of January 2025 our Team Rector retired.  He was also the lead "Vicar" for these three parishes, so they are now in a period of vacancy.  While we go through an appointments process, there are other priests who continue to work in these parishes.  Rev. Gill George (email [email protected], phone 07947 604160) has been our curate since 2022, and is working closely with our churchwardens and parishioners to ensure continuity of pastoral care in the vacancy.  For this time of vacancy parish lead responsibility sits with the Rural Dean, Revd David Spence, and the Churchwardens.  

These three parishes are strongly supported by Rev. John Hall, and Rev. Canon Tim Newcombe, who are retired priests living in Okehampton.  Ruth Cartlidge is currently the main point of contact for enquiries regarding these three parishes. If you are enquiring about baptisms (Christenings) or weddings in the parishes of Okehampton, Inwardleigh and Belstone with Sticklepath do contact her.

The Okehampton group of parishes are supported in ministry by Maurie Webber and Canon Michael Winter, who are Licensed Lay Ministers (LLM - a role previously called 'reader').