Guided pilgrimage walks

The north of England is thick with pilgrimage if you know where to look. Churches stand older than the villages around them, holy wells sit beside the old roads and saints are tucked into the map at Mungrisdale, St Bees and Kirkoswald for anyone who stops to read the names.

A pilgrimage day with me is a walk first, at a pace that suits the slowest person in the group, with a few places along the way where we stop to read something short, sit quietly or talk, depending on who has come and why. Church groups often want someone to take care of the route, the timings and the weather call so they can pay attention to everything else. That's the part I enjoy carrying. Open days are for anyone, of any faith or none, who would like to walk with a bit more attention than usual.

I have a soft spot for the old saints' ways – St Bega's, St Kentigern's and the Northern Saints Trails (over in County Durham) – and for building shorter routes of my own that tie a good hill to a story worth walking towards. Bring boots you trust and a flask. The rest we can work out together, from where to start to how far is far enough for your group.

Ways to walk

I've been leading pilgrimage groups for six years now, across several counties and in more than one country, so whichever of these suits you, the route and the day are in hands that have done it before.

• Open pilgrimage days on set dates, for individuals and small groups.
• Church and parish groups, from a short reflective walk to a full day on a saints' way.
• Quiet days and retreat walks, planned around your own programme or speaker.

Open pilgrimage days are £55 per person. Church and group days are quoted to suit the group, so get in touch with your dates and numbers.