5 of the Best Church Walks in the UK

If you’re looking for a day out, why not go on a church walk? There are thousands of churches to be found across the UK, each with their own unique history and architecture. Below are just a few of the churches you could visit.

St Stephen’s Church has stood on the hillside overlooking Robin Hood’s Bay since 1821, offering stunning views of the surrounding coastline, memorials to the shipwrecked and numerous graves of those lost to the sea. A circular walk from the Robin Hood’s Bay Museum to St Stephen’s Church and back is around 3 miles long.

At 10 miles long, taking around 6 hours to complete, this is one of the longer walks on this list, which is to be expected as it takes you to 5 different churches. This is a circular route passing through various habitats and picturesque villages. The churches you will visit are St Peter & St Paul Church, Todwick, which is believed to have been built in Anglo-Saxon times; St James Church, Anston, a limestone church dating from the 14th century; St Peter’s Church, Thorpe Salvin, which dates from around 1130; All Hallows Church, Harthill, first built in 1085 of local Rotherham Red sandstone by William the Conqueror’s son-in-law; and St John the Baptist’s Church, Wales, originally constructed in 1135.

Another fairly long walk at 9 miles and around 6 hours to complete, this trail partly follows the Viking Way, passing over hills and through valleys to visit 3 churches in Lincolnshire. Visit St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Belchford, to find out how it came to be owned by two priories; St Martin’s Church, Scamblesby, to see the 13th century font, which was once discarded to now stand proudly once again; and St Andrew’s Church, Fulletby, which honours the longest serving parish clerk in the country, Henry Winn, who held the post for 84 years.

A Medieval church found on the edge of the river Leach, St Michael’s & St Martin’s Church in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, offers beautiful views of the riverside it sits on, and is linked to its sister church at Eastleach Turville on the opposite bank by a bridge known as Keble’s Bridge, names after much loved poet John Keble. A leisurely stroll along the banks of the river will take you to Horseshoe Lake, and the nearby picturesque village is worth a visit, too.

St Mary’s Church is located near Higham village, 4 miles from the centre of Rochester. It dates back to the Saxon era and has notable Norman influences. The church stands on the edge of the Thames marshes, and is also close to Rochester Castle, with ancient Norman ruins scattered along the way. At around 4.6 miles, it should take around an hour and a half to walk.


If you know of any other scenic church walks then please let us know in the comments below!