Friends of Longhope Church – Ride & Stride 2025

On Saturday 13th September, the Friends of Longhope Church proudly took part in the annual Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust Ride & Stride event.

This year, ten enthusiastic walkers from Longhope set off on a 10 mile walk across beautiful Gloucestershire countryside, following a route designed to visit all 5 churches that make up the Forest Edge Benefice.

We started at St Andrews Church, Churcham (1050 A.D Norman church) in nice bright sunshine, and then made our way to the charming Princess like Church of St Michael and All Angels Church in Bulley village, where we paused to admire the beautiful Millenium stained glass windows (AD 2000) - well worth a visit. Following a brief rest in the sunshine, we then headed to St John the Baptist church at Huntley – where we were met by dark clouds and a sudden torrential downpour!! Thankfully, churchwarden Kay welcomed us with hot tea and chocolate biscuits, lifting our spirits and warming us up for the next leg of the journey.

From Huntley, we climbed (fairly steep and a little challenging after a large lunch!) to All Saints church at May Hill, where the sun finally broke through the clouds again. We took time to admire the beautiful wild church garden before heading back to All Saints Church Longhope, where we were greeted with cheers, smiles, and a generous spread of homemade cakes from our wonderful supporters.

Over the course of our 10-mile walk, we seemed to experience every season – from bright summer sunshine to wintry storms – but we finished with even bigger smiles than when we started.

A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who supported us along the way. Ride & Stride is a truly special event. While we often focus on our own village church, this day gave us the opportunity to explore and appreciate the unique character of other churches in our area. Each one has its own story, its own charm, and its own place in the community.

← Previous ArticleNext Article →