PILGRIMS will be taking on a three-day walk from Wall Heath to Worcester Cathedral as part of a special prayer event.

Bishop of Dudley, Rt Rev Graham Usher, will lead the northern – and longest – leg of the pilgrimage, which will also see groups travelling to the cathedral from the south, east and west of the diocese to form the shape of a cross.

All four groups will meet at the cathedral on Saturday, June 3, for an afternoon of activities on College Green before a special service of prayer and praise begins at 7pm.

Bishop Graham’s 36-mile walk will start from The Church of the Ascension at 3pm on Thursday, June 1, in order to make it to the end point on time.

The pilgrimage is part of the Thy Kingdom Come global wave of prayer and those walking will be praying for each of the areas that they pass through.

Sue Adeney, who put the routes together, said: “We are looking forward to covering the whole diocese in a wave of prayer, from Wall Heath in the far north to Bushley in the south.

“We hope people will come and join us for some or all of one of the walks.

“The final hour or so should be special as people gather at the edge of Worcester and converge together at the cathedral.”

There will be family activities, including a bouncy castle, outside the cathedral from 4pm on Saturday, June 3, and for those who have walked, there will be a hog roast or veggie burgers available and an opportunity like pilgrims of old, to have their feet washed.

After starting in Wall Heath, the northern leg will head to a renewal of baptismal vows at junction of Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with Stourbridge Canal, in Stourton, at 4.30pm, before an evening prayer at St Thomas’s Church, in Market Street, Stourbridge.

This will be followed by a simple supper at St Mary’s, Oldswinford, at 6.30pm, then on Monarch’s Way via Wychbury Hill to Hagley Hall.

The first day of the journey will be completed at 8.45pm with a compline at St John the Baptist Church in Hagley.

After ‘pilgrim prayers’ at St Saviour’s in West Hagley from 10am, the Friday journey will continue to refreshments and prayers at Harvington Hall at 11.30am, followed by a simple lunch at St Cassian’s in Chaddesley Corbett at 1pm.

There will then be a refreshment break at St Michael’s Rushock at 3pm, before evening prayer at St Mary and All Saints in Hampton Lovett at 5pm.

The final day begins with pilgrim prayers from 11am at All Saints, which will be followed by midday prayers and simple lunch at St Michael’s in Salwarpe at 12.15pm.

The group will move on to Fernhill Heath, Brum Park Recreation Ground on A38 at 3pm, then a prayer stop at Old St Martin’s at 4.30pm before reaching the cathedral at 5pm.

Click here for more information about the Walk The Cross pilgrimage.