Help to support the beautiful historic rural churches in the Benefice of Helmsley and Upper Ryedale and the YHCT by sponsoring the team of walkers, horse riders and cyclists to ride and stride the Launch Gathering Walk of the Saint Aelred's Pilgrim Trail on 14 September 2024. Our churches will receive 50% of the sponsorship money. The other 50% enables YHCT to make grants to historic churches like ours for repairs, maintenance, and renovations. The Gathering Walk on 14 September is a picturesque and challenging 12 mile route across the hills and dales in the stunning countryside of Upper Ryedale in the North York Moors. The Gathering Walk starts at All Saints, Hawnby and visits, All Saints, Old Byland; Saint Mary's, Scawton; Saint Michael's, Cold Kirby; Saint Mary the Virgin, Rievaulx; Rievaulx Methodist Chapel, Rievaulx; and finishes at Rievaulx Abbey.
The Saint Aelred's Pilgrim Trail is a 41 mile trail around this south western area of the North York Moors that begins and ends in Helmsley, visiting all the churches in the Benefice of Helmsley and Upper Ryedale. It is so called in honour of Saint Aelred's tenure as Abbot of Rievaulx. (1147 - 1167), his love of walking, history, friendship and prolific writing. This Pilgrim Trail links All Saints Church and the Methodist Church in Helmsley, with Saint Mary Magdalene, East Moors; Saint John's, Bilsdale; All Saints, Hawnby; All Saints, Old Byland; Saint Mary's Scawton; Saint Michael's, Cold Kirby; the Methodist Chapel, Rievaulx; Saint Mary the Virgin, Rievaulx; Rievaulx Abbey, Rievaulx; Saint Chad's, Sproxton; and finally back to All Saints, Helmsley.