Discover North Yorkshire's Newest Pilgrim Trails
Three new modern pilgrimage routes taking in the stunning surroundings of North Yorkshire have just launched
In North Yorkshire it seems that a picturesque village lies around every corner, complete with historic church and bustling community life. It’s no wonder that the area is so rich in stunning walks and pilgrimage trails to explore. The newly launched Fountains Ways include three circular walks which take in much of the area’s beauty and, Andrew hopes, will encourage an appreciation for local church life.
‘The first route, Abbot’s Way, includes four local churches, many of which are active and have regular worship,’ he explains. ‘In addition to that, there’s the famous St Mary’s Church, Studley Royal which occasionally will hold services. That’s the fourth church within the Abbot’s Way which also includes beautiful walks across the Skell Valley in both directions, and a mixture of woodland and open landscape.’ This nine-mile route takes walkers through Winksley, Aldfield, Sawley and Studley Royal.
Curlew Way is equally scenic, linking Kirkby Malzeard, Galphay, Winksley and Laverton. A highlight of this route includes St Cuthbert and St Oswald’s Church at Winksley, an early 20th century Arts & Crafts church. This route is so named due to the stunning birdlife found in the area. ‘We’re coming through open landscape, much of which attracts flocks of curlews in the summer months,’ Andrew explains.
The final route is Fishers’ Way, featuring stunning woodland and linking the communities of Kirkby Malzeard, Grewelthorpe and Mickley. In this area, walkers can also discover the delights of the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park. ‘We go down from there to Hackfall Woods and down onto the River Ure,’ Andrew explains. Curlew Way and Fishers’ Way are both around seven miles in length.
For the small voluntary team behind the project, highlighting the rich community of these local churches and villages is vital. ‘The life of these villages is incredibly rich,’ says Andrew. 'Our hope and our prayer is that as these trails get well known they will draw a significantly increased number of people onto them at a regular flow.’
Andrew, who relocated to the area in recent years, believes there is so much to discover in North Yorkshire and that an increase in pilgrimages among young people reflects that. ‘What’s interesting is there seems to be a real upsurge in young people wanting to get to places where they can reflect. One of those particularly at the moment seems to be the ancient churches where they sense that the turbulence of the current moment steps a little bit into the background,’ he says. ‘Our hope is that this will affect a younger generation who will realise that it’s not musky stuff – it’s something which has a bearing on their lives and might just open them up to a whole new world of possibilities.’
