14 July 2026
Cyclists, walkers, vintage and classic car owners and even horse-riders, can start to plan their route for Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride and Pedal and Drive day, which will be held on Saturday 12th September. Details of how to get involved are now in churches and on the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust website.
Charlie Haylock, Suffolk author and specialist in Spoken English, helped to launch this year’s event at St Mary the Virgin, Edwardstone, Sudbury.
“This church is where I was christened and for the first five years of my life I lived in Edwardstone,” he explained. “Our churches go back hundreds and hundreds of years so are important from an architectural point of view but they are still the centre of the community, especially in villages. People get married in them, and buried, and now, luckily, churches are used to hold functions that bring people together.”
Also present at the launch was a 1934 Rolls Royce. owned Jo Burge, a Penny Farthing bicycle owned by Nick Tribe, as well as cyclists and walkers who will be involved in the main fundraising event for Suffolk Historic Churches Trust.
At Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride and Pedal and Drive walkers, cyclists, runners and vintage or classic car owners will be sponsored on their journey around the historic churches taking part – over 500 in Suffolk alone. Organised by Suffolk Historic Churches Trust, this fund-raising idea started in Suffolk in 1982 and is now held across most counties in England.
“Last year, the day’s fundraising in Suffolk raised £220,000, and we hope to equal or even better that this year” explained Simon Ronan, the Chairman of Suffolk Churches Ride and Stride. “Everyone can get involved as they chose their route, visiting as many or as few churches as they wish. Individuals, families and groups of friends, who are cycling, driving, walking or running, will meet others taking part and be welcomed by volunteers at many of the churches. Even those sitting as welcomers in churches can be sponsored too! We are very grateful to Charlie Haylock, the team at St Mary’s, Edwardstone, Nick Tribe and Jo Burge, for their help in launching this year’s event.”
On Ride and Stride Day, (Saturday 12th September), the cyclists, and walkers get sponsors for their journey around some of Suffolk’s wonderful churches, and half the money goes to their choice of church, chapel or meeting house and the remainer is given in grants by Suffolk Historic Churches Trust for urgent repairs or improvements to church buildings. The latest grants quarterly meeting awarded £71,000 to twelve Suffolk churches (details attached) but all are welcome to apply.
Also, on the same day, Suffolk Churches Pedal & Drive, a vintage and classic car rally is held, with around 100 cars visiting a selection of churches solving clues in a mystery quiz. A steeple-to -steeple horse ride is organised too. Full details of all the events are on the Trust website. Donations and sponsorship can also be collected via Just Giving. Click HERE (cars) or HERE (horses)
A list of churches that are open is available on this Trust website, and from participating Suffolk churches. Cyclists and walkers can choose whichever churches they wish, and runners and disability scooters are welcome too. A photography competition for participants will also be held on the day, and details are on the Trust website. Click HERE
