Join Rosie Richardson and Bishop Michael Colclough for a Northumbrian pilgrimage to explore the life of the early church in the north east of England. We will take in the historic cities of Newcastle and Durham, and visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne where St Aidan founded his monastery in 635AD.

We will follow our tried-and-tested model of coming together each day for shared study and prayer, for visits and free time, and to eat together each evening.

Saturday 15^th March: Travel to Newcastle in time to gather early evening for welcome drinks and dinner.

Sunday 16^th March: A day in Newcastle: Morning Eucharist at St Nicholas’ Cathedral, followed by free time to explore some of the sights and art scene of this vibrant city. Mid-afternoon: introductory talk by Bishop Michael, followed by Evensong.

Monday 17^th March: A visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne where Bishop Michael will introduce us to St. Aidan. Later in the day we will visit the shrine of St Aidan at Bamburgh parish church for prayers.

Tuesday 18^th March: A visit to the city of Durham. Canon Michael Hampel will welcome us to the great Cathedral, where we will visit the Shrine of St Cuthbert, and enjoy a private guided tour of the Cathedral. The afternoon will be free to explore the city, until late afternoon when we will regroup for Bishop Michael’s talk on St. Cuthbert, followed by Evensong.

Wednesday 19th March: Morning prayer followed by coffee and wrap-up at St Nicholas’ Cathedral, before travelling home.

DATES AND DURATION

Our collective commitment will be to gather in time for supper in Newcastle on the evening of Saturday 15^th March, and the visit will end late morning on Wednesday 19^th March. Retreatants should ensure they are with us for the whole programme: latecomers and early-leavers create a distraction for the rest of the group! You can, of course, extend your trip either before or after.

TRAVEL

The easiest way to travel is via direct train from London Kings Cross to Newcastle, which takes c. 3 hours. We will explore the option of a group train ticket once we have final number of retreatants. Alternatively, retreatants may make their own travel arrangements.

ACCOMMODATION

Retreatants will book and pay for their own accommodation which allows flexibility to suit different budgets and tastes! We will be based in the area around Newcastle Cathedral, where there are plenty of accommodation options within walking distance.

COST

The registration fee is £150 per person to cover shared costs/coach travel/cathedral tour/church donations etc. The registration fee does not include the cost of travel and accommodation, nor the cost of shared meals which will be paid by a member of the team, and shared by way of mess bills upon our return to London.

HOW TO BOOK

Places are limited, and so we encourage you to reserve your place as soon as possible, and by 15^th January 2025 at the latest. The non-refundable registration fee will be required to secure your booking. To reserve a place, please email: pa@spkb.org  

Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about whether this pilgrimage would suit you, the office team will be glad to fix a time for a short phone conversation with Rosie Richardson. Please email your request to pa@spkb.org.

Join Rosie Richardson and Bishop Michael Colclough for a Northumbrian pilgrimage to explore the life of the early church in the north east of England. We will take in the historic cities of Newcastle and Durham, and visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne where St Aidan founded his monastery in 635AD.

We will follow our tried-and-tested model of coming together each day for shared study and prayer, for visits and free time, and to eat together each evening.

Saturday 15^th March: Travel to Newcastle in time to gather early evening for welcome drinks and dinner.

Sunday 16^th March: A day in Newcastle: Morning Eucharist at St Nicholas’ Cathedral, followed by free time to explore some of the sights and art scene of this vibrant city. Mid-afternoon: introductory talk by Bishop Michael, followed by Evensong.

Monday 17^th March: A visit to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne where Bishop Michael will introduce us to St. Aidan. Later in the day we will visit the shrine of St Aidan at Bamburgh parish church for prayers.

Tuesday 18^th March: A visit to the city of Durham. Canon Michael Hampel will welcome us to the great Cathedral, where we will visit the Shrine of St Cuthbert, and enjoy a private guided tour of the Cathedral. The afternoon will be free to explore the city, until late afternoon when we will regroup for Bishop Michael’s talk on St. Cuthbert, followed by Evensong.

Wednesday 19th March: Morning prayer followed by coffee and wrap-up at St Nicholas’ Cathedral, before travelling home.

DATES AND DURATION

Our collective commitment will be to gather in time for supper in Newcastle on the evening of Saturday 15^th March, and the visit will end late morning on Wednesday 19^th March. Retreatants should ensure they are with us for the whole programme: latecomers and early-leavers create a distraction for the rest of the group! You can, of course, extend your trip either before or after.

TRAVEL

The easiest way to travel is via direct train from London Kings Cross to Newcastle, which takes c. 3 hours. We will explore the option of a group train ticket once we have final number of retreatants. Alternatively, retreatants may make their own travel arrangements.

ACCOMMODATION

Retreatants will book and pay for their own accommodation which allows flexibility to suit different budgets and tastes! We will be based in the area around Newcastle Cathedral, where there are plenty of accommodation options within walking distance.

COST

The registration fee is £150 per person to cover shared costs/coach travel/cathedral tour/church donations etc. The registration fee does not include the cost of travel and accommodation, nor the cost of shared meals which will be paid by a member of the team, and shared by way of mess bills upon our return to London.

HOW TO BOOK

Places are limited, and so we encourage you to reserve your place as soon as possible, and by 15^th January 2025 at the latest. The non-refundable registration fee will be required to secure your booking. To reserve a place, please email: pa@spkb.org  

Questions?

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about whether this pilgrimage would suit you, the office team will be glad to fix a time for a short phone conversation with Rosie Richardson. Please email your request to pa@spkb.org.