HUNDREDS of people retraced the steps made by a group of Cistercian monks in 1132, as they took part in a Boxing Day pilgrimage.

The annual walk from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire attracted approximately 750 people on Boxing Day.

It recreates the journey made by a group of Cistercian monks who set out from Ripon the day after Christmas, nearly 900 years ago, to found a new monastery, Fountains Abbey. It is now an annual tradition attracting hundreds of people from the local area and beyond.

The day began with a service of Holy Communion in the cathedral at 9.30am. People were led from the steps of Ripon Cathedral by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson and the Bishop of Huddersfield, the Rt Rev Jonathan Gibbs and walked four miles through the streets of Ripon and surrounding countryside to the abbey. On the way they followed the River Skell and passed through Studley Royal Deer Park and on to the abbey site and landscaped water gardens owned by the National Trust. The event then finished at Fountains Abbey with a carol service and a glass of mulled wine in the ancient monastery.

Dean John said: “The Boxing Day Pilgrimage from Ripon Cathedral to Fountains Abbey is one of the hugely enjoyable events in our annual calendar. Drawing on the lengthy history of both the cathedral and Fountains it gives a welcome encouragement to all of us to take some much-needed exercise after a day of feasting.

“It gives an opportunity for family and friends to spend time with each other and also to chat with new people along the way. The carol service in the abbey’s awe-inspiring cellarium is the climax of the whole event and is enjoyed by both those who have walked and those who have travelled straight to the abbey.”