A group of Coptic monks is locked in an 18-month planning dispute over a proposed church on the North Yorkshire Moors, which locals have described as 'totally alien'. The church, designed in an Egyptian style with two high domed towers, would serve a congregation of up to 100 worshippers and is planned for 23 acres of land near Langdale End.
The monks, who belong to the UK's first Coptic Church Order, St Athanasius' Monastery, currently live in a former manor house once owned by the Rowntree confectionery family. They lead an austere, celibate life of prayer, fasting, and self-sufficiency, rising at 4am for prayers and keeping animals to produce cheese and honey.
Darncombe-cum-Langdale End Parish Council has objected to the design, stating it is 'completely out of keeping for the area'. A spokesman said the building would look 'totally alien in the landscape'. The 125-foot-long church would feature two towers and be used by monks and visiting worshippers who travel by bus.
Seif Asaad, secretary of the Coptic Church's diocese covering the monastery, said this would be the first Coptic monastery in Britain inhabited by monks. He noted that between five and ten monks would eventually live there, cultivating the land and helping the community. The Coptic Orthodox Church, which traces its roots to 50 AD and St Mark, has about 20 million followers worldwide, mainly in Egypt.
The planning application will be discussed by the North York Moors National Park Authority on Thursday.
