PilgrimPilgrim 1. In the New Testament and Christian thought, someone engaged in the Christian journey through life towards heaven. 2. Someone who journeys to holy places (such as biblical sites or shrines of the saints) to seek God's help, to give thanks, or as an act of penance Places
Discover Pilgrim Places or find out how your church could join in
Visiting a Pilgrim Place
Many people today love visiting churches, cathedrals and other special places such as LindisfarneLindisfarne Also known as Holy Island, a peninsula off the coast of north-east England (Northumbria), this area is cut off from the mainland by the tide twice a day. A monastic community was founded here by St Aidan, in emulation of Iona. From Lindisfarne, missionary activity was conducted in the kingdom of Northumbria. The Anglo-Saxon community produced saints, the most prominent being St Cuthbert in whose honour the magnificent Lindisfarne Gospels were written. and Iona. These beautiful historic sites can give us a sense of belonging and perspective. But they offer more than this.
Visiting a Pilgrim Place doesn’t mean you have to be wearing hiking boots or a rucksack (though walking or cycling is a great way to travel if you can). Instead, it means that like millions of people before you, you can find peace, hope, comfort, and understanding to take back into your everyday pilgrim journey of life.
Being a pilgrim in a special place offers space to pause and explore our own experience and thoughts. It helps to take time out of the ‘ordinary’ to think about our journey through life. Helpful questions include, ‘Where have I come from?’, ‘Where am I now?’, ‘Where am I going?’, ‘What might I need to help me cope – and grow?’
At the heart of being a pilgrim is our journey through life, in which we can experience God’s guidance and care each day. This is strengthened by developing our inner relationship with him.
Find your nearest Pilgrim Place
Becoming a Pilgrim Place
Any church, in any context, can become a ‘Pilgrim Place’ – that is a welcoming, peaceful, safe space which offers time to relax and reflect. You may be on an existing pilgrimage route or walking trail; you may want to develop your own trails; or you may just want to find fresh ways to welcome visitors and local people.
Working with partners, FaithFaith 1. Belief and trust in someone or something. 2. Acceptance of particular religious teachings. in the North has developed a new set of easy-to-use resources. These encourage visitors to explore church buildings and other sites, to engage with the stories they tell, and so enhance their own journey through life.
- Signage – to help churches clearly identify themselves as welcoming spaces for reflection
- ‘Being a Pilgrim’ Prayer Cards – offering simple ways to pray about everyday life
- Illustrated, reflective trails – suitable for any church building and designed for visitors of all backgrounds
- Pilgrim Explorer Cards – a resource for children and young people to explore your church building and its stories
- Toolkit of Ideas to help you use your building to welcome visitors
Becoming a Pilgrim Place allows you access to the full pack of resources, including permission to use the signage, highlights your church on our map of Pilgrim Places encouraging visitors to come and connects you into a network of churches exploring the same challenges and opportunities.
Sign up to become a ‘Pilgrim Place’
If you have any questions or encounter any issues in completing the Pilgrim Places sign up form, please email details of your churches to faithinthenorth@archbishopofyork.org.
FAQs
Yes. When filling in the Pilgrim Place sign up form, please make sure to enter all the Churches you represent and their postcodes. Once the form has been submitted, you won’t be able to able to fill it in again unless it is with a different email address. If you have any issues with adding churches, please email faithinthenorth@archbishopofyork.org.
No. Please access and use any of the Pilgrim Place resources that are most helpful for your context.
No. Any Church in the UK is welcome to join the Pilgrim Places network.
No. Any church, in any context, can become a Pilgrim Place – a welcoming, peaceful, safe space which offers time to relax and reflect. Some churches in more urban areas have already started signing up, examples include Leeds MinsterMinster Originally a church with a group of clergy which served a large area. Later used to describe a church staffed by many priests or a monastic community, Sheffield CathedralCathedral (Latin cathedra' throne') Church which contains the throne of the bishop and hence the mother church of the diocese, St George’s Preston and Sacred TrinityTrinity The Church teaches that God is three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - who share one divine nature and together brought about the Creation and Salvation of the world. Church in Manchester.
Your Church building doesn’t need to be open all of the time to be a Pilgrim Place. What works for you will depend on your context. Some Churches are open every day of the week. Others are open on a more limited basis.
Yes it is. If you would like to adapt the trails with your own photos, please contact us at faithinthenorth@archbishopofyork.org. If you do this, your Church would need to arrange its own printing.
Walking Together: Pilgrim Place Conference 2026
The first ever Pilgrim Place Conference invites churches, leaders, and practitioners to explore how churches can operate as a Pilgrim Place. Join us to explore how churches can use the Pilgrim Place resources, learn from others and be inspired together.
Alongside a keynote on Pilgrimage from ArchbishopArchbishop Bishop who also presides over a group of dioceses or provinces. Stephen, the day will include:
- A panel of different Pilgrim Places churches
- Lunch provided in the ticket price
- Workshops, based on: engaging schools in pilgrimage, creating new routes and exploring a worshipping community connected to pilgrimage.
Explore Faith
Interested in finding out more about faith and what
Christianity offers?
Pilgrim Explorer Cards
An engaging, interactive activity pack designed to help children explore churches, cathedrals, and minsters with curiosity and purpose. Thoughtfully created to support learning, reflection, and discovery, the pack encourages young visitors to engage deeply with sacred spaces while making meaningful links to their own experiences.
Pilgrim Place Signage
This Pilgrim Place signage is available as both A Board or as a Banner and identifies you to those who are walking past as a Pilgrim Place.
To access the signage and use it outside your church please Register as a Pilgrim Place.
‘Being a Pilgrim’ Prayer Cards
These six prayer cards use key themes from Anglo-Saxon spiritualitySpirituality Term used to describe the experiential dimensions of religion, encompassing aspects such as prayer, meditation, contemplation, and mysticism.. They offer a fresh approach to engaging with God and encouraging people from all backgrounds to ‘just start praying.’ Each card contains an attractive image, a relevant Bible verse, a short explanation of the ChristianChristian Name originally given to disciples of Jesus by outsiders and gradually adopted by the Early Church to designate all members of the church. faith which changed this land, and a simple prayer. They also provide a link to the Faith in the North website to encourage further exploration.
Pilgrim Trail Leaflets
These short, illustrated trails offer simple, accessible reflections and prayers. They can be used in any church building, by people of any background, and then taken home for further spiritual exploration.
“Pilgrimage lies at the heart of the Christian faith, reminding us that God journeys with us through every season of life. We are hopeful that these resources will help our churches welcome those exploring faith as they come into these wonderful buildings.”
Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of YorkYork 1. A Roman city and early centre of Christianity. 2. Diocese and province under the leadership of the Archbishop of York.
Other Related Pages
Explore Faith
Interested in finding out more about faith and what Christianity offers?
Explore Heritage
Love Heritage? Fascinated by the beauty, art, and architecture of historic churches? Intrigued by the meaning behind them?
Exploring Prayer
Learn more about the practice of prayer and how the Anglo-Saxons prayed.