Crossing the Diocese

After an early morning interview with Ben Jackson on Radio Leicester, we set off for Market Harborough at 8 am. About 15 people were gathered in the church for prayer at 8.45 am and, although it was only a brief stop, it was good to see members of the Harborough Team coming together to see us off.

We walked from the parish church through the town and made our way to HM Prison Gartree, accompanied by five or six others. We were met at the prison by the Governor who talked about developments at the prison. There has been a major building programme which continues to disrupt the life of the prison although the extra accommodation makes a considerable difference. The chaplaincy has been relocated and is slightly less in the centre of things, but well appointed.

The Governor explained that these days there are far more prisoners with indeterminate sentences, people whose actual period in prison is determined by the Parole Board on the basis of assessments done during the course of their sentence. This has significantly changed the atmosphere and the dynamics of the prison, with a lot of men not knowing how long they have to serve, feeling unsettled and edgy.

The visit was a very moving experience. We saw the new kitchens and were shown all round, meeting a number of prisoners who work in the kitchens. Everyone was pleased to see us, received a little wooden cross and wanted to know what the pilgrimage was about. The most moving part of the visit was to the hospital wing. Some of the men were obviously unwell, and had serious mental health problems. Perhaps the most poignant memory was of a prisoner under 24-hour surveillance in a cell with a transparent front door and a Prison Officer watching him 24 hours a day. The prisoner was pacing the cell constantly and yet we were free to walk out of the prison and continue our journey. We shall remember him in our prayers.

Leaving the prison we made our way to Foxton where a dozen or so people had gathered in the Church for the midday prayers. Then on along the canal-side to Foxton Locks where we stopped for hot soup and bread rolls.

Leaving Foxton we made our way on across the fields to Gumley where we were able to admire the stunning new east window recently installed after a Consistory Court. Then on to Saddington where we were met by the incumbent and six or seven members of his congregation who were delighted that we had come to see them.

The final part of the walk was mainly on roads to Shearsby. We were under some time pressure at the end but managed to get to the church by 4.40 pm. We were astonished to find 40 or more people waiting for us for the evening prayer. I was given hospitality in the village by a couple whose background was in the mining industry. It was fascinating to hear stories of being in the Leicestershire mines 30 or 40 years ago.

After dinner, back to the village hall for a gathering of another 40 people. There was a lively question and answer session including much interest still in the Archbishop’s remarks last week. It is clear that sensitivities are running high. Later in the evening I watched Question Time and realised that this is a story which still shows no signs of going away.

Day 2: Friday 15 February

Breakfast with the hosts at Shearsby included a wonderful plate of bacon and eggs in the company of their two excitable dogs. There was much to be learned about life in that part of the county, including the way in which the benefice is trying to encourage people to join together for services. The reluctance of rural congregations to travel remains a considerable challenge to mission in the rural areas.

We walked down to Shearsby church for the morning prayer, looking at the churchyard which is kept in trim by a flock of sheep. From the church porch entrance you get a wonderful view across the roofs of the village seeing the layout as if it was a model village.

After morning prayer in the church, we set off across fields to Fleckney. We were joined by MP for Blaby with his young and half-trained dog, Tavy. There was much discussion en route, not least about the Archbishop of Canterbury’s remarks on sharia law.

On arriving in Fleckney we were welcomed into the parish church were some 20 people had gathered. We used a short office and prayed at the statue of Our Lady which had been brought back from Walsingham.

Then on across the fields again to Kibworth. Suddenly a hurrying figure caught up with us, he turned out to be the Leicester Mercury photographer trying to get a picture of the group! It is good that we continue to have such a lot of media interest for this journey because it helps us build a sense of the diocesan pilgrimage together.

The prayers in Kibworth were joined by another 30 of 40 people. Central TV were also there, picking up the story and wanting to film the Bishop talking to parishioners in the church and handing out crosses. Eventually we made our way to the Coach and Horses in Kibworth accompanied by Central TV, filming in the pub and interviewing me in the saloon bar.

We walked on to Church Langton, again across fields, often having to find a path across a ploughed and sown field and being reassured that we would not do damage to the crop. Arriving in Church Langton we could hear the splendid organ being played by the new incumbent. This instrument was built to offer the accompaniment to the first performance of Handel’s Messiah in Church Langton.

Then on the Thorpe Langton to be greeted as we crossed the final field by a welcoming peal of bells. Evening Prayer in Thorpe Langton church was followed by a welcome opportunity for an hour’s rest at my host’s house. Following another delicious meal we made our way back to Church Langton and to the Hanbury Trust hall for an evening gathering. This comprised representatives of the local Parish Councils, most not Church members but people who were involved in the life of their local villages. The conversation turned to the whole question of village schools, the provision of community space in small villages and the opportunity for the churches to adapt church buildings. But the question of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s remarks on Muslims came up again and once again I realised how strong feelings are still running. Eventually we reached the lovely converted farm house in Tur Langton where I am to spend the night.

Day 3: Saturday 16 February

The day began with an enormous breakfast after which we made our way by car to Thorpe Langton for the beginning of the day’s walk. Here again we were met by a small group of villagers one of whom told me that when she first met me she had said that she came from Thorpe Langton and it was too small a place for the Bishop to visit. So she was delighted that I was there as indeed was the other little group of villagers.

We were joined again by other walkers to make our way first to Stonton Wyville, where we stopped for prayers and then on to Tur Langton (where I had stayed the night). In the beautiful Victorian red brick church with bright sunlight streaming into it, we were accompanied on the organ as we sang the hymn, “We love the place, O Lord”. We made our way across the road to the village pub where we were offered tea and coffee and cake by a roaring fire.

Then in bright sunlight we walked on to Stonton Wyville once again the church bells being rung to greet us. We saw the grave of Jack Townsend who had been instrumental in establishing the Care Village in Shangton that we were later to see. Then walking on to Shangton we came to the Care Village and were welcomed into one of the homes by the residents. This village was established 30 years ago and has housed people with disabilities in a warm, welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. The readiness of the residents to allow us into their home was extraordinary. There was an atmosphere of openness, trust and warmth which was tangible. We said the Midday Prayers with the residents and joined them for lunch. Plans are afoot for relocating the Care Village and there was clearly concern about the effects of this on the residents.

From there we walked on across fields to Carlton Curlieu. Making our way along the tiny lane which marks the route of an early Roman road. We were met by three men dressed as Roman soldiers. This was one of the more bizarre encounters of the walk. They belong a group of people who live out the history of the country and these three men and one woman we walking the Roman road in original costume simply as a way of spending a Saturday afternoon together. They had come over from Oxford and were going back once they had completed their walk. We shared a pilgrimage cross with them and made our way on into Carlton Curlieu church.

In the late afternoon sunshine we made our way to Burton Overy for a brief time of prayer and then to Great Glen where a dozen people joined us for the Saturday evening prayer. This gave an opportunity to see the new church extension and the toilets being built onto the church as well as the new kitchen which has been installed at the back of the north aisle. These kind of improvements will open up the church as a place of meeting and offer possibilities for growth and development. Dinner at Great Glen vicarage gave an opportunity to hear more about developments in the village and changes in the church.

Later in the evening, about 40 people came to the village hall for drinks and a “meet the Bishop” session. We had about 45 minutes of questions and discussion and I had a sense that most of the group were not Church members. They were a little reticent about asking questions but it provided a valuable opportunity for the Church to engage with the wider community.

Day 4: Sunday 17 February

Morning Eucharist at Great Glen was attended by the whole benefice including those who had travelled from Burton Overy and Carlton Curlieu. The early communion people were coming to a service later than usual and the main morning people were coming to an earlier service. I could sense the general feeling of the unfamiliar – not least in having a Bishop dressed in walking gear sitting in a pew! I preached about the spiritual value of the unfamiliar – the discovery that Nicodemus had to make about the wind blowing where it wills.

The journey took us on to St Giles, Great Stretton across the fields. We could see the commanding site of the new Grammar School as we walked – an enormous building dominating the skyline to the west. The conversation was all about the way in which this will change traffic patterns in Great Glen. The combination of the effect of the Grammar School and the possibility of an eco-town is already creating a sense of anxiety in this part of the county. Eventually to Great Stretton – a tiny church in the middle of a field (with no path leading to it!). On arrival we met two people who happened to be visiting a grave in the churchyard and were somewhat flummoxed to find a visiting Bishop turning up in the middle of nowhere. Walking on towards Houghton on the Hill we passed the airport in brilliant sunshine with many light aircraft taking off and circling. This is the key piece of land which could form the basis of the proposed new town.

We were met on the edge of the village of Houghton by pilgrims from Hungarton who had had an early morning service and had come down to greet us. The service was just finishing at the parish church and I was able to greet the people, share some of the story with them and distribute crosses. Lunch was in the pub at Houghton before the walk across the fields to Thurnby. Here the views into the city were stunning and in the distance we could see Thurnby church and Stoughton church as well as far away Kings Norton. At Thurnby we walked past the Rose and Crown which had been set fire to a couple of years ago and is now restored. In the church eight members of the congregation greeted us and led the prayers before we set off for Stoughton.

In the bright sunlight Stoughton church was an amazing experience. The church is filled with light from plain windows all around. In the spring sunshine it was one of the most impressive churches we had seen. We went into the village hall where some 20 – 30 people were having afternoon tea and scones – specially laid on for our visit. By now we were running late so there was only time to say a prayer and greet everybody before we walked on towards Oadby.

At this point we had been joined by the Area Dean and there was opportunity on the road to talk to him about the deanery and many of the developments I had observed during the previous days. In Oadby parish church there was a Fresh Expressions service taking place at 4 pm. Here were Mums and children singing songs from the musical “Joseph”, an enormous tea and cakes was all laid out on a table at the side. We greeted them, said a prayer, handed out crosses and walked on to Wigston where there were 30 or so people gathered for a service of Evening Prayer and a brief reflection.

So came to the end the fourth day of the second week. It had been quite different walking from the first week in Bottesford. A mixture of market town, tiny village, suburban church and finally the urban environment of Wigston. We had different kinds of reception in different places. There is a sense that the more remote the community is from the centre, the more impact the visit seems to make. Once again this has been an immensely rewarding week with a really warm greeting everywhere we have been and a strong sense of people entering imaginatively into the experience.

XTim