It was the perfect day for a pilgrimage and hundreds turned up at Ripon Cathedral this morning to take part in the four-mile walk of faith to Fountains Abbey.

The annual St Stephen’s Day trek from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey, attracted family groups, individuals, dog walkers and keen hikers.

Many came prepared for cold and rain but, as with last year’s pilgrimage, they found dry and pleasantly warm weather, with sunshine all the way to Fountain’s Abbey.

The pilgrims head up Kirkgate

The walkers followed in the footsteps of 13 monks who, on a cold day in 1132, walked from Ripon to a completely deserted valley by the River Skell.

This is where Fountains was established and the link with the church founded in Ripon by Wilfrid, who subsequently became the city’s patron saint,  was established and has remained to this day.

Fountains, which was one of the richest abbeys in England, closed in 1539 as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII.

Canon Matthew Pollard (pictured left), the Bishop of Ripon Anna Eltringham and Dean of Ripon John Dobson, prepare for the carol service in the cellarium.

The pilgrimage concluded with a carol service in the awe-inspiring vaulted cellarium of the ruined abbey. Musical accompaniment was provided by the Harrogate-based quintet Stray Brass.

Staff, volunteers and supporters of Ripon YMCA, gave up their warm beds to sleep outdoors on a cold, wet evening to highlight the issues of youth homelessness.

The Sleep Easy event staged at the weekend in the grounds of the city’s Workhouse Museum, carried the theme ‘Sleep out so others don’t have to’ and was designed to raise awareness and funds for the charity to help those who do not have a home of their own.

Jayne Shackleton, the YMCA’s community and development manager in Ripon, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is just a small taste of what it’s like for people who, for reasons such as family breakdown, find themselves with no roof over their head and no bed to sleep in.”

Her colleague, Bryony, who is a housing support worker, knows from personal experience about the crucial role that the charity plays in supporting the young and vulnerable who are facing difficult situations.

She said:

“At 16, I went to Ripon YMCA and over the two years that I lived there, I was given the encouragement to believe in myself, while providing the stability that I needed to put my life back on track.”

Bryony lived at Ripon YMCA for two years and now works for the charity

Bryony, added:

“I went on to study for a Youth and Community Work degree and with that qualification, I was proud to be able to return to Ripon to help people facing the same issues that I did when I was younger.”

Ripon Cathedral which, through its C3 Community Connections programme works closely with the YMCA , was represented at the Sleep Easy event.

Canon Matthew Pollard (pictured above, front centre), who joined the cathedral in the autumn, was among those who braved the elements.

He said:

“I have taken part in sleep outs for charities in Nottingham, Huddersfield and Bridlington, so this is my fourth.

“It is important to raise awareness of the YMCA as well as money to support the vital work that it does to support homeless people.”

In the past year the YMCA in Ripon has seen young people staying in cars, sleeping on a kitchen floor and in a shed, with many more ‘sofa surfing’.

The charity provides housing for 22 young people and  offers individual support, skills and training, designed to help them reach their full potential.

Anybody who would like to support Ripon YMCA,  can find out more here