THE SAINT AELRED'S PILGRIM TRAIL SOCIETY CIO

The Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail (Link to website)

The Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail Society is a registered charity established to care for and develop the Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail through the beautiful North York Moors.

The 41-mile Trail connects the historic churches of Helmsley and Upper Ryedale with Rievaulx Abbey, where Saint Aelred was one of its greatest abbots. Open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, it offers people of all faiths and none the opportunity to experience this remarkable landscape, discover its heritage and sacred places, and find space for friendship, reflection and pilgrimage.

Since the Trail was launched, we have been delighted by the number and variety of people who have joined us – from experienced long-distance walkers to families with young children, cyclists and horse riders.

A future for Saint Michael’s

One of the churches on the route is the historic Church of Saint Michael at Cold Kirby, which stands directly on both the Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail and the Cleveland Way National Trail.

Recently listed Grade II by Historic England, this beautiful building is no longer used for regular worship and we want to explore a sustainable new future for it.

Our hope is to create Saint Michael’s Lodge, a low-cost hostel providing affordable accommodation and welcome for pilgrims, walkers, horse riders and other visitors to the North York Moors. This project will explore how the historic church could be conserved and adapted for that proposed new use.

The Lodge would form part of the wider Trail network, while also serving people visiting the National Park for walking, cycling, horse riding, heritage and recreation. Our hope is to conserve the historic character of the church while retaining something of its long tradition as a place of welcome, quiet and reflection.

An important step forward

We are delighted to have received a £122,760 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop the Saint Michael’s Lodge project.

Thanks to National Lottery players, we can now undertake the detailed work needed to explore how that vision might be realised. This includes conservation, architectural design, accessibility, planning, environmental considerations and developing a sustainable business and operational model for the Lodge. 

An important part of this work will be engagement with residents of Cold Kirby and other interested parties, giving local people and stakeholders the opportunity to understand the emerging plans, share their views and help shape the proposals as they develop.

We are working closely with the Diocese of York and the Church Commissioners for England to develop proposals for the future of St Michael's. Any future use of the building will be subject to a statutory public consultation undertaken by the Church Commissioners in accordance with the provisions of the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.

Why we need your help

The Heritage Fund award is a major step forward, enabling us to develop our proposals and explore how the vision for Saint Michael’s Lodge might be realised.

As we undertake this work, we also need to prepare for what comes next.

Our aim is to raise £40,000 towards the next phase of Saint Michael’s Lodge.

Every donation to this Crowdfunder will help us build the partnership funding needed to take the project forward, giving this historic church the opportunity for a sustainable future and helping to create much-needed affordable accommodation in the North York Moors.

Be part of the journey

Saint Michael’s has stood at Cold Kirby for generations. We now have an opportunity to explore how its heritage can be conserved while giving the building a sustainable new future. 

Whether you love walking, cycling or riding; care about the North York Moors and its historic churches; have travelled the Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail or Cleveland Way; or simply believe that historic buildings deserve imaginative and sustainable new lives, we would love you to help us take Saint Michael’s Lodge forward.

Please support our £40,000 appeal and be part of the next chapter in Saint Michael’s story.

Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Saint Michael’s Lodge is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to develop plans to give the historic Church of Saint Michael at Cold Kirby a sustainable new future.

If the proposed acquisition and reuse of Saint Michael’s is unable to proceed, funds raised through this appeal will be used to further the charitable work of the Saint Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail Society, including the development and care of the Trail and its associated heritage projects.