On Friday 6th of August Julia Mercer set out on a bicycle ride from Huddersfield Parish Church to Canterbury Cathedral, an undertaking of some 292 miles. Julia’s aim is to raise money to help in the repair of the ceiling at the Parish Church and to demonstrate how to travel sustainably using the UK’s National Cycle Network. Julia has sent this blog from day 1 of her journey:

“Hi Guys

I’m at Anna’s [formerly Curate of Huddersfield Parish Church] after a seriously hilly start to the bike pilgrimage, taking me up the horrible main road out of Huddersfield, with a head wind and soft enveloping Pennine rain. (The rain was quite nice as the hills were making me rather hot.) I diverted onto a little road at Shelley, virtually traffic-free which was lovely, and came over a watershed and down into the Penistone valley past a wind farm swooshing gently, cattle grazing underneath. The skies cleared and there were huge views back towards Huddersfield before swooping down to the main road into Penistone.

Met up with friend Jane and her daughter Rosie and we hit the Pennine trail after a picnic lunch on a tombstone in Penistone churchyard. Wonderful tarmac bit out of the town following an old railway track, then winding woodland tracks more hilly and bumpy. Onto minor roads at Oughtibridge and over a few more hills to Stannington. Hooray! I’d done the first leg, only about 275 more miles to go!

Love to all and big thanks to David for such a good send-off.

Julia.”

We hope that you will join us in wishing Julia a safe and sound onward journey, and that you will come back to see how she fares through the rest of extraordinary pilgrimage.