Worship in the Parish can be traced back to the thirteenth century. Services were held at Eskdale Chapel, whose ruins still stand beside the River Esk near the railway. The chapel is first recorded in 1224 and was used regularly by the people of Eskdaleside between 1394 and 1764.

A new place of worship came with the Georgian chapel of 1765, later replaced by the present Church of St John the Evangelist in 1894. St John’s is noted for its Grade II listed gates, a tranquil churchyard now cared for as a sanctuary for wildlife, a finely carved wooden reredos, and stained glass by C. E. Kempe.

Methodism also took root locally. Briggswath and Sleights Methodist Church was built in 1905. In November 2000 it was severely flooded when a culvert overflowed, damaging many neighbouring homes. Services continued temporarily at Sleights Village Hall until the church reopened the following year.

The Methodist congregation at Littlebeck began even earlier, meeting in cottages before the church itself was completed in 1890. A schoolroom was added in 1904. Much of the interior woodwork, including the remarkable carving of the Last Supper, was created by Thomas Whittaker, the “gnome” woodcarver whose work still draws interest today.

All Saints Church at Ugglebarnby opened in 1872 on ground once occupied by a Norman chapel built in 1137. Stones from the earlier building were incorporated into the present church. Among its features are distinctive nave windows, including a rare depiction of Judas Iscariot.

The newest addition is English Martyrs, the Roman Catholic church at Sleights, completed in 1998 close to the site of the temporary structure that had served the congregation since 1950. Its modern design and active parish life continue to draw worshippers from the village and beyond.