Many of us have special 'Pilgrim Places' - sites that are often beautiful, maybe historic, but which all give us a sense of belonging and perspective and of being closer to God.
They are places to come aside, pause, reflect and find peace, hope, comfort and understanding to take us back into our everyday pilgrim journeys of life.
This summer, the Church of England has been highlighting some of the places around the country which have been made holy by those who have lived faithful lives there - reminding us that the church is always on pilgrimage and helping us to see God at work in every community and on every pilgrim journey.
We have been spotlighting some of the places in our diocese that are very special for many, and today are looking at a new five-mile pilgrimage launching this autumn that connects two Pilgrim Places and two episcopal areas of the diocese, along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
The Canal Pilgrimage links St Andrew's Kildwick, in the Bradford area with Holy Trinity Skipton in the Ripon area, following the canal towpath through the Aire Valley.
Both churches are part of Faith in the North's Pilgrim Places network, which encourages churches to become welcoming, reflective spaces where visitors can pause, explore and deepen their spiritual journey.
The new pilgrimage takes that idea out into the landscape, inviting people to step away from the busyness of everyday life, enjoy God's creation and make the journey itself a time of prayer and reflection.
Unlike many pilgrimages, there is no prescribed starting point.
The route can be walked from Kildwick to Skipton or from Skipton to Kildwick, allowing either historic church to be a place of setting out or arrival.
The Revd Mike Green, Vicar of Kildwick, Cononley and Bradley, said: "Pilgrimage isn't only about arriving at a holy place.
“Sometimes the journey itself becomes the holy place.
“Here, neither church has to be the beginning or the destination.
“We walk beside the water from one Pilgrim Place to another, trusting that Christ meets us somewhere along the way.
"With the theme of this year's Season of Creation being Living Water, there seems something particularly appropriate about slowing down and walking beside the canal.
“My hope is that people who might never think of themselves as pilgrims will simply put on their walking shoes and give it a go."
The Revd Doug Rice-Bowen, Rector of Holy Trinity, Skipton, said: "The story of Christianity and faith in the north of England is one of journeys into the unknown.
“Saints like Hild, Paulinus and Cuthbert were adventurers who trusted in God and took the plunge.
“They were missional, pioneers, disciples of deep faith.
“In our own way we wanted to continue that spirit of Christian adventure.
"It is so wonderful to be able to work with Revd Mike and the church in Kildwick.
“As major churches we wanted to see what was possible when we came together in faith and collaboration.
“The result is the new pilgrim path and God willing it can help others on their path to faith."
The pilgrimage shared by two churches will have two launches.
The first takes place at St Andrew's Kildwick on Sunday, September 6, as the parish celebrates the Church of England's new Festival of Creation in Christ.
The launch falls within the Season of Creation, whose theme for 2026 is Living Water.
Walking beside the canal, pilgrims are encouraged to see water as more than part of the scenery: as a reminder of God's gift of life, of baptism, of the renewal of creation and of Christ's promise of living water.
The pilgrimage will receive its second launch at Holy Trinity Skipton on Sunday, October 11, as the church marks the feast of St Paulinus, the seventh-century Bishop of York and missionary whose journeys helped Christianity take root across northern England.
The two launches bookend the churches' celebration of creation this autumn: beginning with Creation in Christ and Living Water at Kildwick and concluding with Paulinus and the call to journey out in faith at Skipton.
The route brings together the natural beauty of the Aire Valley with centuries of Christian and local history.
Holy Trinity stands beneath Skipton Castle on a site where Christians have worshipped since at least the twelfth century.
Richard III contributed towards the church in 1483, and Lady Anne Clifford later helped restore it following damage during the Civil War.
Beyond Skipton, the canal leads into a landscape of water, woodland and open countryside.
Along the way, pilgrims pass the memorial to Polish airmen near Hamblethorpe Swing Bridge, offering a natural place to pause, remember and pray for peace.
St Andrew’s, traditionally known as the "Lang Kirk of Craven", has roots stretching back into Anglo-Saxon Christianity, with fragments of tenth-century carved crosses preserved within the church.
Throughout the walk, a specially produced pilgrim leaflet offers reflections on stillness, water, creation, peace and companionship, inviting walkers to notice both the landscape around them and the presence of God within the journey.
The pilgrimage is intended not only for regular churchgoers, but for anyone who would value an opportunity to walk, reflect and discover something of the Christian story embedded in this part of Yorkshire.
The pilgrimage leaflet will be available free of charge from the churches following their respective launches.