The Somerset Pilgrimage 52km (31miles) - New Life Project
Monday Night Tea at St John's Group is raising money for THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF CHILCOMPTON
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To raise money for the New Life Project a small group will be undertaking a continuous walking challenge on Thursday 3rd July 2025.
About the Walk
The route is 52km (31 miles) from Bath Abbey to St John’s Church in Chilcompton, via Frome. The challenge should take approximately 12 hours to complete departing Bath Abbey at 6:30am.
The first 35km departing from Bath Abbey will take us through Claverton, Freshford, Fairleigh Hungerford, Beckington, Frome, Great Elm and onto St Andrew’s Church in Mells. This will follow the route devised by the British Pilgrimage Trust to provide a modern pilgrimage route in Somerset.
The second part of the route will divert from the official Pilgrimage route as we begin the remaining 17km finishing back at St John’s Church in Chilcompton. This route will follow the Colliers Way Cycle path along to Kilmersdon, then to Stratton on the Fosse via Charlton and finishing back at Chilcompton.
About the Church
St John's Church is a well-loved and bustling community space within the village of Chilcompton in Somerset. Alongside weekly services including a 9am Traditional and 10:30am Family Sunday Service, the Church and attached Church Hall provide community amenities for all ages. You will find Baby and Toddler tea and toast groups, Messy Church for Children, Community Evening Tea for local families, Lunch Club, a Men's Group and the Bell Ringers, all run by willing volunteers in service to the local community. The Church also hosts the village school Harvest and Christmas assembly, a cookery club and a practice venue for a popular local choir.
The Church serves the local community in many ways. As someone with a young family in the village we feel blessed to have found friendship and community through the Church. I hope the walk will play a small part in raising money for the wider New Life Project so the Church can continue to do the amazing work they do on a daily basis in a building which is dry and warm. Dan Owen (Walk Organiser)
About the New Life Project
The New Life Project has been set up to raise essential funds for maintenance and repair of the Church and Church Hall. The Church Hall roof and heating needs to be replaced and the Church heating system has failed and is beyond repair, requiring complete replacement. In total this will cost £150k. Raising the money to undertake the repairs will help to protect the fabric of the building and continue to provide a daily space in the local community.
In Isaiah 43, God says to Isaiah, ‘See I am doing something new! Do you not see it?’ We see God at work in our community and our buildings are valuable assets in the sharing of God’s love to those around us as we live out the Gospel story. Can you help us raise the funds we need?