By Rev Graeme Holdsworth
The Benefice of Upper Weardale covers a geographical area of about 100 square miles and I have a 40 mile (65km) cycling route I enjoy, and as I ride, I pray for everyone in our area.
It is a delight to minister to the people who live here, and I take seriously my duty to have the ‘cure of souls’ for all. One way in which I can exercise this priestly ministry is to remove myself from the inside of buildings, be visibly present, get on my bicycle and ride. As I cycle around the Benefice I pray for the people who live and work here, for the farms and remote communities, for the emergency services and those who care for people at home. I pray for our business and schools, and for all who travel through our Benefice for work or pleasure. I pray that God will bless this land and all who live here, but also that rivers of righteousness and justice will flow; washing away pain, abuse, addiction and the prisons of debt and illness. I take seriously this ‘cure of souls’.
I begin my ‘cycle of prayer’ in Frosterley, by crossing the River Wear and the local railway; following the road past old quarries and up towards Hill End.
The first hill of the day ends with a cattle grid and a fast descent on a road with open bends and a clear view of Low Bollihope quarry. This is a popular picnic site, and there is a lovely walk alongside Bollihope Burn, passing disused Lime Kilns, towards White Kirkley and Harehope Gill Lead Mine. On the north side of the road is Catterick Moss where motocross trial competitions are held.
It is because I love cycling here that my mind and body have developed a respect for hills and cleughs of this dale. As I climb steep roads, my muscles convert cake into forward motion… wordlessly handling the biomathematics my brain can’t. I experience the land by moving through it: the contours become familiar to my legs, and my body begins to understand the geology. But it isn’t just a physical thing, it is a spiritual experience.
Alfred Wainwright wrote, “The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal. Always there will be the lonely ridge, the dancing beck, the silent forest; always there will be the exhilaration of the summits. These are for the seeking, and those who seek and find while there is still time will be blessed both in mind and body.”
My ‘cycle of prayer’ route meets the road that crosses Bollihope Common as it comes from Teesdale to Weardale, and I turn north for a short climb back towards Stanhope. Then, as I cycle across the top, there is a great view of Crawleyside in the distance: this is a road that anyone who has cycled the classic ‘Coast to Coast’ will remember as the last big hill of their C2C ride.
Coming back down the road sweeps left and right and crosses a cattle grid. Weardale is divided up by roads and dry-stone walls, and there are numerous remote farm buildings, some of which are in use and many of which are crumbling ruins. I roll down to the River Wear at Stanhope and if the water level is low enough, I’ll use the stepping stones to cross – if not I’ll simply follow the road around and over a small bridge to join the A689 as it leaves the western edge of Stanhope.
The third climb of the day is from Stanhope to Rookhope on a narrow lane between caravan holiday parks and avoiding the wandering sheep that graze either side of the road. I like the views from this hilltop, both behind me towards Stanhope – which I realise is much larger than it seems from Front Street – and westward along Weardale. This is a “National Landscape”, and a “UNESCO Global Geopark”. On a day with scattered clouds and sunshine, it is possible to watch the cloud’s shadows ripple across the hillsides.
Descending towards Rookhope, passing through the farms of people who have lived here for a long time, I remember they are more versed in the language of the land than I am. The soles of their feet know ground that disappears away from the road up into the moors. Although we live in the same dale, our experiences are so different. How can I ever hope to communicate the love of God into a world I don’t understand? So I pray, because with God all things are possible.
I turn south and follow the lower end of Rookhope Burn to Eastgate. Here there is a festival church, All Saints (Eastgate) which is important to the community and supported by residents, and also the landlady of the Cross Keys pub. If the weather is hot, this is a great place for a soft drink.
I briefly turn back on the A689 towards Stanhope, then right on an unmarked road towards the trees that line the river. There is a short climb to the quiet back road that runs along Weardale parallel with the A689 – it is marked as a Cycling Byway. A right turn takes me towards Brotherlee and then to Daddry Shield. It is easy to ride along this lane westward, because the undulations are gentle. I’m on the south side of the dale, and the cycling on this side is much easier than the northern side.
In Daddry Shield my route re- joins the A689 for less than a kilometre to reach St John’s Chapel. Here is the second church building of the day, John the Baptist, on the corner opposite The Golden Lion pub and Chatterbox cafe. There is also a ‘Co-Op Local’ – I sometimes stop here if I haven’t been to the Cross Keys.
There is a ford of the River Wear which is a bit of an adventure, but there is also a footbridge to save me the embarrassment of slipping into the water. Now I’m riding on the northern side of Weardale and the cycling is a bit harder. The road climbs, but not too steeply. I’m usually quite slow at this point.
As I cycle I seek God: mind, body, heart and soul searching in harmony. Not only does my body experience the journey, my mind is liberated by the muscle memory of circular mechanics – I daydream, I process, I reflect and I theologically wander. I lift my eyes to the hills and there is no fear, only freedom. Even though I’m cycling slowly, I will not fear the walk of shame, for I have recessed SPD cleats and God is with me.
There are wide open views south toward the moorland above St John’s Chapel, which eventually tops-out at Harthope Moss a long way in the distance. Beside the road are moss covered dry stone walls and trees, which feel other-worldly: it is cool beneath this canopy. I feel like little has changed here over hundreds of years and take my time to cycle slowly on the narrow, twisty and occasionally steep bits of road, especially where it is damp under my tyres. The road continues to climb until I leave the woodland behind and begin to cycle into the moorland landscapes above Cowshill. I’m now cycling into west Weardale and the more isolated communities that are on the edge of County Durham. The hills to the west are the borders with Northumbria and Cumbria.
The third of my four church communities is based in Cowshill at St Thomas. This church building was moved from its original location at Heatherycleugh because rock blasting at a nearby mine had come so close that falling rocks were landing on the church roof. The mine owners paid for the church building to be relocated to Cowshill.
This next section of my route feels the hardest and slowest, but that is probably because I’m so far into the ride. There is nowhere to hide from the weather: this is open moorland and the border between County Durham and Northumberland. I climb and because this is a ‘cycle of prayer’ I find myself repeating the Lord’s prayer like a mantra. In my mind I’m praying for everyone who lives and works here. Once I pass the top of the climb from Cowshill to Allenheads I will be briefly leaving my Benefice and even my Diocese. I’m in Northumberland all the way down to Allenheads where I turn right onto the C2C route that will take me back to Rookhope.
So I cycle uphill again – at first through pine woodland, then onto a section of zigzagged road that has hairpins before I reach the very top and pass the “County Durham – Land of Prince Bishops” border sign. I’m back into my own Benefice and Diocese.
This section of my ‘cycle of prayer’ is the bleakest. The old abandoned lead mines and miners homes are dotted across a moorland that may as well be a biological desert. Wild birds cling to life in the middle of the heather, and during the nesting season will call out to me, and swoop down on my head to warn me off. It isn’t lonely here though, there are always plenty of cyclists riding up or down this road. There are motorcyclists too.
As the parish priest I sometimes find myself at scenes where accidents have happened. I’m not a medic, and I’m not the police. I’m not interested in blame. I am interested in caring for those who have been hurt. I recently sat with a cyclist and motorcyclist who had collided. I listened to them as they spoke of their adventures; where they had come from and where they had hoped to go. I hope I offered comforted in their distress and I held them in my prayers. I will never know if this is of any benefit to them or anyone else – but it is the calling and vocation that has been laid on my heart and I am honoured to be able to do this. The ambulance and police turn up. Bones have been broken, but they will mend.
What are mortals that you should be mindful of us O God? Mere human beings that you should seek us out? We are just dust. We flourish like the flowers of the field: but when the wind goes over them they are gone, and their place will be known no more… but you, God, love us with arms outstretched… it is for this reason that I hold everyone in my Benefice in prayer before you.
I am not slow as I cycle downhill into Rookhope Burn. Reaching the bottom of the descent, I find the popular cafe in Rookhope is open. This is a wonderful place to stop for a chat, and a piece of cake.
Leaving the café, I’m back onto a road I have been on before, riding downhill from Rookhope to Eastgate, back to the Cross Keys and then left onto the A689 briefly for the right turning back to the Byway on the southern side of the dale. Now though, instead of turning west to St John’s Chapel, I turn east towards Stanhope. I’m on the last leg of my ‘cycle of prayer’.
The Byway returns me on a gently rolling road that falls towards the river once more just outside Stanhope. I prefer to cycle past the stepping stones one more time and then wheel my bicycle over the footbridge into Stanhope. I’m now in the market square beside the fourth and biggest of the churches in my Benefice. Here is St Thomas, Stanhope, with the tourist-attraction fossilised tree in the churchyard.
I ride through Stanhope. This is a thriving village and my prayers here are for the school and businesses: for people trying to make ends meet and who love their village nestled in the Northern Pennines. There are also tourists, cyclists, and motorcyclists resting in front of the pubs and cafes. I pray for the sabbath-rest, for their holiday and recreation. On a sunny and warm day, this is a busy place to cycle through. I’m cautious, and I leave the A road to follow the very quiet country lane that runs from Stanhope to Frosterley beside the Weardale Railway.
This is a strenuous cycle route, which I share because it showcases the beauty of Weardale for those who like to cycle. It is also the way I bring together my visible priestly presence and my vocation to pray for the community.
May God bless those who visit Weardale, and may those who choose to cycle this route be gifted strong legs and fabulous weather.
A link to the route is on my website www.fatherhilarious.blog
