Welcome to our Pilgrimage Project
It’s a journey which takes you through new landscapes, which at the same time help you explore your inner landscape.
A pilgrimage is undertaken with the intention of being open to learning new things about yourself, the world in which we live and the meaning of life. It is a journey of discovery and exploration, and will bring its own surprises and revelations – each one a unique gift to the pilgrim. God is your companion, and knows just what you need.
These walks are devised in order to connect you with the churches which make up the Central Lakes Mission Community, as well as other places of worship in the area. The Mission Community is a group of churches in the Central Lakes who have discovered the benefit and blessing of working and worshiping together. We have discovered a richness in our mutual friendship and in the sharing of our different traditions, emphases, and expressions. It is an open community in the sense that all churches, congregations and meetings in the area are invited to join in at whatever level they are able to participate.
These walks will connect you with a number of places of worship – Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic and Quaker. Each place has its own distinctive story to tell which serves as an inspiration to the pilgrim.
So we welcome you to the Central Lakes, and we encourage you on your pilgrimage. Walk with your eyes open, and your heart ready to receive – and we know you will be blessed.
Kath Dodd
Baptist Minister
The Walks:
Please note - all the walks are circular and will bring you back to your starting point.
Introduction - Please read this before starting a walk.
1 Grasmere and Chapel Stile - A stunning walk over the fells from one valley to another.
2 Grasmere to Rydal - A fascinating walk in the footsteps of Wordsworth.
3 Ambleside Town- A gentle walk exploring our village.
4 Brathay and Langdale - This walk has it all: an inspiring pull up on to Todd Crag, fell side views of Windermere and Langdale, and a gentle stroll back down along the river Brathay.
5 Wray, Brathay and Ambleside - This pilgrimage visits three churches on the way where you can pause and follow the meditations provided, or just have a rest and look around.
6 Hawkshead to Wray- This walk links up the ancient parish of Hawkshead with a sister church in Wray.
7 Hawkshead Hill and Colthouse - You will experience the Ecumenical nature of our community as you visit a Baptist Chapel, a Quaker Meeting House, a Methodist church and an Anglican church.
8 Sawrey and Hawkshead- A lovely circuit, with views of Esthwaite Water.
(Click here for a link to a lovely aerial film of Sawrey Church)
9 Satterthwaite and Sawrey - This walk is one of the longest and most challenging in the collection, but it is well worth the effort.
10 Rusland and Satterthwaite - A stunning walk round the secluded Rusland valley.
Click on the link below to read a review of walk 9, Satterthwaite to Sawrey, by Judith Shingler.
Please contact us to tell us if you have enjoyed our walks.
Email: [email protected]
or go to our Contact page
About the walks:
Difficulty ratings – We have given some estimated ratings to our walks, but the descriptions are relative. None of our walks are serious enough to take you into the highest mountains, but some may find them too long, or too tricky for comfort. You should select the walk depending on the weather, the time available and the ability of the group.
Easy (Walks 3 & 7) – These tend to be the shorter walks. They follow roads or tracks where the ground is not too steep. However, in this part of the world, all country routes will be muddy following rain. The tracks tend to stay in the valleys, and you can easily find a way back to the road at all times.
Easy to moderate (Walks 2, 5 & 7) – While these routes remain in the valleys, they do cover greater distances and the ground may be more uneven in places. You may find yourselves further from the road as you walk round lakes and through fields.
Moderate (Walks 6 & 8) – These walks are longer, and they take you up on to hillsides where the ground can be steeper, and more uneven. They will take you further from the roads, so you need to be prepared for changes in the weather or for the possibility of injuries.
Hard (Walks 1, 4 & 9) – These walks take you to potentially lonely places: the forests and fells that are unique to the Lake District. They are quite long walks, and go up into the wild places, where the views will take your breath away. Waterproof clothes, a First Aid Kit and a sturdy pair of boots are essential.
Walk times—The timings of the walks are fairly generous estimates, but they do not include rest times, or meditations, so you may need to give yourself a generous window of time if you want to stop and enjoy the peace and splendour of your surroundings.
Practical information
For up-to-date weather reports specific to the Lake District: www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk
For local bus timetables: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/buses/default.asp
Mountain rescue: If you find yourself or a member of your party seriously injured out of reach of a vehicle, you should call 999 and ask for the Police, who will pass you on to the Mountain Rescue Service. This is a voluntary service and it should only be used for emergencies. The Ambleside Mountain Rescue Service website provides lots of advice and information: https://www.lamrt.org.uk/
Maps: We have not provided maps with our walks. You should always take an Ordnance Survey map with you along with a compass. This is important because you may need to shorten the walk or take an alternative route. If you are injured and need help, a map will help you tell your rescuer where you are. All our walks are found on Ordnance Survey Explorer OL7 (1:25,000) The English Lakes, South-eastern area.
Mobile phones: Please be aware that in some of the more remote areas, your mobile phone reception may cut out. If you are relying on it for your directions, or for a map, you should download the information you will need before leaving.
Safety: We recommend that appropriate footwear is used on all the walks. Walking boots are designed to protect and provide stability and security on uneven and slippery terrain. A waterproof, windproof jacket is essential and waterproof over-trousers may be needed in winter weather. Sufficient warm clothing should also be worn or carried depending on the time of year.
How to use these guides
Read the route description carefully before setting off and cross-reference this with your OS map so that you have a good sense of the general orientation in case you need to make a shortcut.
We've made every effort to write accurate and correct descriptions in the guide, and our checkers have followed the routes and made sure that they are precise and clear. However, we can't guarantee that everything will be exactly correct on your day of walking.
Please exercise caution if a direction appears at odds with the route on the map. If in doubt, a comparison between the route, the description and a quick cross reference to your OS map - along with a bit of common sense - should help ensure that you're on the right track.
Acknowledgements
This has been a wonderful journey for those of us who have been involved in putting together these Pilgrimage Walks. We have been inspired by the idea of physically linking together all the churches, chapels and meeting houses in our Mission Community. Some have planned walks, some have checked them, others have taken photographs, and more have typed and organised the publication. Enormous thanks go to everyone who has been involved in whatever way:
Maggie Patchett
Kath and Andrew Dodd
John and Judith Dixon
George Wrigley
Gay and David Beattie
Ruth Yates
Rod Hutchinson
Sue Barr
Tricia Thirlby
Terry Winterton
And many more…
