The new trail, which was opened on Yorkshire Churches Day, links all the churches in the parishes of Helmsley and Upper Ryedale with Rievaulx Abbey. Rev Melanie Burnside and churchwarden Ben Houghton set participants off at All Saints Church, Hawnby where two runners, three cyclists, a horse rider and two pony riders, along with 34 walkers all had their pilgrim passports stamped. Meanwhile a group of the Ryedale Bridleways Group of horse riders led by Bill Tait set out from Murton Grange, Hawnby to meet up with the main group at Old Byland.
More walkers, as well as the horse riders, were gathered at Old Byland where the packed-out All Saints Church was full of people enjoying coffee and cake, whilst admiring Sue Wressell’s mounted textile art exhibition and being intrigued by Peter Clark’s Old Byland Labyrinth on the village green. Next up was the iconic Church of Saint Mary’s at Scawton where yet more walkers and dogs joined in the fun, after viewing the lovely exhibition by the local group of artists led by Barry Middlemass. The walkers and riders next gathered in Cold Kirby where the Village Hall full of walkers and supporters bringing numbers up to 64 heading for Rievaulx.
At Rievaulx another large group joined the Gathering Walk processing to the Abbey Nave behind a banner and the cross. Altogether 150 walkers, riders, and supporters filled the Abbey Nave for a Celebration Service led by Rev Burnside with music from Bilsdale Silver Band. A group of press-ganged mon.