ONE of the most senior clergymen in the country has announced his decision to quit his post and return to life as a parish priest.

Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, plans to break with tradition and return to "grassroots" Christian leadership.

Dr Hope will be expected to see out at least the next two years while Dr Rowan Williams settles into the role of Archbishop of Canterbury, following the retirement of Dr George Carey.

Dr Hope, 62, intends to take over a quiet rural parish in the more picturesque parts of the Yorkshire Dales.

High on his wish list is believed to be the diocese of Ripon and Leeds or even the diocese of Bradford, which takes in areas such as Giggleswick, Skipton and Sedburgh.

The archbishop's official spokesman said last night: "David Hope is at heart a parish priest, though he has been an effective and fine bishop and archbishop. There is no doubt he will return to the parish ministry when the time is right.

"He would stay around long enough to complete his own job and see in the new Archbishop of Canterbury, which is likely to be two or three years."

The archbishop has courted controversy over the years.

He has been a leading opponent of the ordination of women and also strongly criticised the Government's handling of the foot-and-mouth crisis.