Sunday 21st September was a glorious, first-day-of-autumn, sunny day and ideal for our “mini-pilgrimage” from St. Peter’s Church to St Oswald’s in Winwick, via St Oswald’s well.

11 of us “pilgrims” participated, plus a couple of furry friends, to be joined by 4 others at the end.

Our merry band had been formed from a group that had met regularly over the summer to explore different aspects of prayer and to develop our prayer-life in all that we do. We are known as the “Koinonia” group – from the Greek word meaning Christian fellowship or communion.

First stop was St Oswald’s Well which marks the spot where Oswald, the Christian King of Northumbria is reputed to have been killed by Pendra, King of Mercia in 642AD. The well is said to have originated from pilgrims taking away a little of the holy earth where he was slain, thus creating the hole in which the well was formed.

And then on to St Oswald’s church where some very nice parishioners had laid on tea and biscuits for us. Its earliest Christian associations are with St Oswald, and Saxon stone carvings and other remnants survive from around this time, as does the intriguing Winwick Pig on the tower's west wall. The present building is said to date from 1358; after the Civil War Cromwell stationed his troops in the church following the Battle of Winwick Pass in 1648. It was much restored in the 18th century and is beautiful church again.

We took communion together to mark the end of our walk and re-affirm the discipleship of our group for the autumn ahead. It wasn’t exactly the Camino de Santiago as pilgrimages go, but it was very good to do and to be with such a lovely group of people, united in fellowship and faith. And who knows, we might do the Camino one day!