Wild Pilgrims

The vision of our Wild Pilgrims project is:-

• To develop an network of outdoor focussed spiritual communities across Ryedale, which draws on the beautiful countryside and explore spirituality through the lens of nature and outdoor pursuits.
• To develop the enthusiasm and practical outworking of eco-church and environmental activism, through providing publicly accessible activities that engage with the natural world and its preservation and sustaining.

Building upon the wonderful St Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail, which connects to Rievaulx Abbey and Methodist churches, we aim to develop a new Pilgrim trail linking Rievaulx with churches and chapels through to Thornton-le-dale.

The trail will provide information on the history, ecology and of course history and spirituality of the churches themselves, but we hope to include poetry, photography, music, art, prayers, liturgy and other materials from local creatives as they engage in the route and seek their own inspiration to share.

Alongside the main trail, we aim to develop a series of self-led circular walks that start and end at the Chapels on the way. These can we walked independently and will have their own guides and accompanying information.

Our Faith Walks, will be led walks, that encourage a spiritual encounter, conversation and reflection as we explore the countryside together. Sometimes this will have an overtly Christian theme, at other times it will draw on a more diverse spirituality.

We aim to make the material, and the experience available to those who cannot undertake the physical walk by capturing some of the sights, sounds, liturgy for use in other contexts.

Those of us who naturally gravitate to the outdoors, and the natural world, might recognise what the Celts called it being a thin place. A place where the veil between the physical and spiritual world is more readily accessed. Oftem these are the threshold places, between mountain and lake, sand and sea, day and night, life and death. Many of us are just drawn to the beauty of nature, the music of birdsong and the wind in the trees. It all resonates with something deep inside us, and beyond us. Whether we class that as God, or the Divine, Gaia, or don’t wish to limit the experience with a name, we might nevertheless recognise its worth to us.

Wild Spirit seeks to engage with these feelings, experiences and encounters. He aim to explore a multitude of possible ways in which we can engage, and encounter the natural world. Our list so far is…

• Forest Bathing
• Foraging (and then cooking around a campfire)
• Mindfulness Walks
• Photography walks
• Drystone Walling / Hedge Laying
• Countryside Crafts – ie Spoon Carving, Weaving etc…
• Campfire gatherings, singing & story telling.
• Woodland management
• Wild Swimming / Saunas
• Community allotments, Growing Fruit & Veg
• Celebrating the Rhythms of the year, Solstice, Wassailing and other Celtic traditions.
• Celtic Spirituality, such as Northumbrian Prayer.
• Visits to ancient mystical or spiritual places.

Join Our Mailing List

The project is still in its early stages, but we’d love to keep in contact with you, with details of the activities we are developing, and how you can get involved, either as a participant, or one of our growing volunteer team.