Some 60 Ripon area walkers have taken part in a pilgrimage raising awareness for a new pilgrimage route, as well as a new life for a closed church.
The ‘Friends of Finchale Camino’ are setting up a new pilgrimage route from Durham Cathedral to York Minster, via Ripon Cathedral.
It is hoped this will eventually bring together the St Cuthbert’s Way in the North and the St James’ Way in the south.
The St James’ Way leads to Southampton and historically people would take a ship to Spain to complete their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella.
Part of the new route links Richmond with Downholme via Hudswell, which is where the inaugural walk took place on Saturday, September 30.
Joined by the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Revd Anna Eltringham, the new pilgrims started at 11am from St Mary’s Richmond, with Bishop Anna blessing the walkers on the way.
The walkers stopped halfway along the route at St Michael’s church in Hudswell, where lunch was provided.
The walk concluded with a short service at St Michael’s church in Downholme.
Bishop Anna said: "Pilgrims step into an inner journey of the soul and an outer journey of companionship and I enjoyed doing both while walking part of this exciting new pilgrimage route on Saturday.
“I congratulate all who have been involved in making it happen, and I really valued the opportunity for chatting and finding out more over lunch at the new Hudswell Hostel en route."
The day was chosen especially to be as close as possible to the feast of St Michael and All Angels on Friday, September 29, with the village churches of both Hudswell and Downholme dedicated to St Michael.
Plans to breathe new life into the closed church of St Michael’s Hudswell, by converting it to a walker’s and cyclist’s hostel for Swaledale, are moving forward, and more can be found about this here.