A group of local Methodists from the Hope Valley and beyond have got together to create a new pilgrimage route which includes overnight stays in Methodist chapels. Called the ‘Peak Wesley Way’, this is a contemporary opportunity to engage with the ancient spiritual practice of pilgrimage within the beauty of the Peak District. To find out more, including bookings, visit https://peakwesleyway.com/ The six-day walking route goes from Matlock to Edale, with overnight stays in Youlgreave, Great Longstone, Baslow, Hathersage and Castleton. Each pilgrimage group will have exclusive use of the chapel overnight, with no-frills accommodation including camp beds and kitchens and showers on site. The vision for this came from a small group of local Methodists, reflecting on the future of small chapels in a changing world. They wondered if there could be a new way of using chapel buildings, to give the opportunity for people to stay overnight in an unusual location. Pilgrimage is enjoying a bit of a renaissance as a way to leave behind the busyness of life or to rediscover self, purpose or healing.
In Hathersage overnight pilgrims will use of the ‘church side’ of the building, with separate access. This means evening and morning hirers can continue to use the ‘hall side’ of the building, as currently.
