Pilgrims Revisit Island 50 Years After Initial Journey

Several of the original walkers will return to Holy Island this Easter. They mark the 50th anniversary of a pilgrimage first organised in 1976.

Origins and purpose

A small group of friends created the Northern Cross after leaving student pilgrimages. They sought a new northern route. They chose Lindisfarne, the island linked to St Cuthbert and the Lindisfarne Gospels.

The founders wanted a journey that celebrated northern landscapes. They aimed to keep the pilgrimage affordable and open to all faiths and none.

Early routes and logistics

The original route began in Penrith, Cumbria. Early walkers used roads before switching to footpaths. Later stages included sections near Hadrian’s Wall.

Walkers carried wooden crucifixes. One stage covered about 23 miles, roughly 37 km. Organisers arranged parish contacts along the route to provide stops and shelter.

Community and hospitality

Villagers often welcomed walkers into church halls and farmhouses. Hosts provided meals, cakes and warm spaces. One long-term host, Helen Holmes from Sharperton, has provided lunch for more than twenty years.

The tradition of barefoot crossing on Good Friday continues. At its height, about 100 people walked across the tidal sands guided by Pilgrim’s Way poles.

Personal stories

Several named founders remain associated with the pilgrimage. Tim Feline and Ken Williams were among those who helped start the walk. Tim’s wife, Jacquie Feline, recalled difficult weather at the outset.

Maggie Mason of Kendal first walked in 1977. She is now 72 and remembers snow storms, bogs and nights on stone floors. Peter Coppola first joined in 1979 as a 20-year-old and still walks every year.

New participants and continuity

New walkers join each year alongside long-term participants. In 2026, 30-year-old Theo Carpenter will take part with his mother. His grandmother had been a regular pilgrim.

Organisers added other legs over time. Routes now begin from Newcastle, Melrose, Lanark, Hexham, Carlisle and Edinburgh. There was also a children’s leg from Haddington for many years.

Challenges and legacy

Numbers have fallen in recent years despite a wider interest in pilgrimages. Yet the event’s spiritual and communal appeal endures. Many return year after year for the island, the sand crossing and the Easter atmosphere.

The original group’s aims remain clear. Pilgrims revisit the island fifty years after their initial journey to honour that first walk and to keep the tradition alive.