On Monday 19 October, The Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail Society held the first community consultation about the possible future of Saint Michael’s Church, Cold Kirby. Around 24 Cold Kirby residents joined trustees and our project consultants, Irving Patrick, at the Village Hall. The evening began with an opportunity to look at six information boards setting out our proposal to explore creating Saint Michael’s Lodge: low-cost overnight accommodation for walkers, cyclists, horse

An exciting new chapter in the story of St Michael’s Church, Cold Kirby, is beginning, and we would love you to be part of it. The Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail Society is exploring an ambitious future for this beautiful Grade II listed church, which stands beside both the Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail and the Cleveland Way. Our hope is to bring St Michael’s back into use as St Michael’s Lodge, offering simple, affordable accommodation for pilgrims, walkers, cyclists and horse

More than 125 people joined us for this year’s Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail Gathering Walk, a wonderful day of walking, hospitality, heritage and reflection through the beautiful landscape of Upper Ryedale. Held as part of Heritage Open Days and inspired by this year’s national theme of Everyday Histories, the pilgrimage invited us to think about the generations of ordinary people whose lives and work have shaped the places through which the Trail passes. Our day began on a m

We were delighted to receive this account from Joanne Taylor, who travelled the Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail in May with Helen Payne, their dogs Beano and Fleadh, and, importantly, Firefly the horse. Joanne had first discovered the Trail through a BBC feature and was particularly struck by the fact that it had been designed not only for walkers but with horse riders in mind. Living in Scotland and never having explored this part of North Yorkshire before, she decided it would

Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Saint Michael’s Lodge is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to develop plans to give the historic Church of Saint Michael at Cold Kirby a sustainable new future as affordable accommodation and a place of welcome for pilgrims, walkers, riders and

Join us for a free day of walking, companionship, history and reflection as the Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail Society holds its annual Gathering Walk through the beautiful landscape of Upper Ryedale. This year our theme is Walking the Everyday Histories of Saint Aelred, exploring not only the churches and great monastic sites associated with Aelred, but the farms, fields, tracks and communities which formed the everyday landscape of his world. Our pilgrimage begins at All Sain