In 1979 All Saints became part of the Parish of Upper Ryedale which also includes the parishes of Bilsdale Midcable, Cold Kirby, Hawnby and Cold Kirby and the rector had to look after a parish that spread over an area three times that covered by his predecessors though the population of the combined parishes is less than 400 compared with over a 1,000 in 1881. A service is still held in All Saints at least once a month maintaining a tradition that has probably continued for a thousand years and Eucharist is celebrated more regularly than was the case during the 18th century.
The importance of religion to people living in Old Byland over 250 years ago can be judged from the answers shown on the following page given by the rector Henry Jackson to a set of questions put to all clergy in the York diocese by Archbishop Thomas Herring in 1746 for what was known as the Archbishop’s Visitation
