What's New
Rutland Ride and Stride 2025
We are please to announce the date for the next Ride and Stride event will be Saturday 13th of September 2025. More details will follow soon. Preliminary details for participants can be found here
You can keep up to date with news about Ride and Stride prior to the event by accessing our Facebook Page.
Please feel free to tell us:
- how your preparations are going
- would you like to meet up with a buddy and practise together
- churches in Rutland that you consider are a 'must see'
- any shortcuts you have found
- roads / tracks that no longer exist
- share experiences from previous R&S events (esp. fun stories)
- National Churches Trust
- Ecclesiological Society
- Funds for Historic Buildings (including Architectural Heritage Fund)
- Cory Environmental Trust
- Entrust
- Peterborough Diocese
- Churches Conservation Trust
- Church of England Church Care
- Council for the Care of Churches
- Rob's Churches: A private site with interesting information about churches in the area including Rutland
- Launde Abbey (Diocesan Retreat House)
- Leicestershire & Rutland Church Journal
Your pictures are especially welcome.
After the event, tell us what you thought about the day. Which churches had the best grub. Would you recommend Ride + Stride to your friends? Suggestions for future improvements.
We look forward to telling more people what an enjoyable day out it is and that they want to start planning for it well in advance... get training and get sponsored!
Ride and Stride September 2023
It was 9th September, the hottest day of the year, 73 hardy souls set out on wheels or on foot to visit as many churches as they could in just one day.
There was a somewhat different atmosphere to the event this year, possibly due to the extreme heat. There were more families riding out together. People seemed to have more time to enter the churches and take a break – it was much cooler inside than out. So while the numbers of participants was less and the time taken to go round was longer than in previous years, the atmosphere was felt by many to be more relaxed and friendly. This is something we would like to encourage in future years with possibly a prize for families.
On March 17th an awards ceremony was held at Thistleton Church to mark their achievements.
Following a one minute silence to remember Richard Foulkes, the Ride and Stride organiser, who sadly died in October, the Chairman, Peter Lawson, introduced Dr Sarah Furness, Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland and Geraldine Feehally, High Sheriff of Rutland. “We should be proud that the ‘riders and striders’ of Rutland generate more income per head of population than any other county,” said Dr Furness, who appropriately arrived at the venue on her bicycle.
The 2023 ‘Ride and Stride’ generated an impressive £23,400 which will support historic churches throughout the county.
The winner of the Davenport-Handley Cup was following in his late father’s tyre tracks. Jack Hudson cycled to 47 churches and was riding in memory of his father John, who won the cup in 1997. Jack lives in Portugal and so his prize was collected by his mother Debra.
Close behind him were four other riders who excelled:
Jef Tod came an amazingly close second with 46 churches,
Katie Salmon reached 37,
Douglas Mathew and Mark Bolton cycled to 36 churches.
Alison Thompson O’Connor
Mary Stoate, who rode her unicycle to 23 churches, won a gift token for choosing the quirkiest mode of transport.
Lily (6) and Olivia (4) Howard-May, our youngest riders, cycled to 26 churches. Lily pedalled her own bicycle, while Olivia rode on the back of her dad’s bike. They both won book tokens.
Betty Hoult (RIP) our oldest competitor (95) sadly died before the presentation but a certificate was presented to her family and will be displayed in Thistleton Church in her memory.
The next ‘Ride and Stride’ event will take place on Saturday, September 13th, 2025.
Dr Sarah Furness, Lord Lieutenant for Rutland, arriving at the prizegiving on her bicycle.
Debra Hudson receiving the Davenport-Handley cup, on behalf of her son Jack.
Lily (6) and Olivia (4) Howard-May receiving their prizes for visiting 26 churches from Geraldine Feehally, Rutland High Sheriff.
Jef Todd receiving his certificate for visiting 46 churches from Dr Furness.
Katie Salmon receiving her certificate for visiting 37 churches from Dr Furness.
Mary Stoate received her prize for riding her unicycle to 26 churches from High Sheriff Geraldine Feehally.
The Prize winners
David Hoult receiving the certificate for the oldest participant, his mother Betty, aged 95 who sadly died earlier this year.
Rutland Calendar 2023
RHCPT Trustee Richard Adams has again produced the Rutland Calendar for 2023. This is the 23rd Rutland charity calendar produced by Richard Adams. It is intended to show how the County lives up to its motto of Mutum in Parvo, Much in Little. All of this year's profits will go to the Rutland Historic Churches Trust which grant aids repair work to the County's churches and chapels.
The Calendar has now sold out and we are keen to see the 2024 release
Many congratulations to John Williams BEM
On the award of your medal for services to the environment of Rutland. Thank you for all that you do for RHCPT and especially Ride and Stride.
RIDE and STRIDE 2021 RAISED £22,000 FOR LOCAL CHURCHES
An awards party to celebrate the success of the 2021 Ride and Stride was held on Monday at Barnsdale Lodge. The event enjoyed perfect cycling weather; and raised £22,000 for the maintenance and preservation of our lovely Rutland churches.
The awards ceremony was held at Barnsdale Lodge and the awards were presented by the Lord Lieutenant and Vice-President of the Rutland Historic Churches Preservation Trust, Dr Sarah Furness. The Davenport-Handley Cup was awarded jointly to John Williams of Pilton who targeted all 64 churches to match his age (he narrowly missed his target) and Mike and Niles Beadman who raised a magnificent amount from their native village of Brooke and in the conventional time period cycled to 48 churches. The Barnsdale Lodge Walking prize was awarded to John Williams of Morcott whose efforts over many years have been an icon of the event.
The Chairman of the RHCPT, Peter Lawson, also thanked Bob Beswick of Oakham Congregational Church who has supported Ride + Stride for 34 years; and Sylvia Bland of Greetham who over a succession of years has cycled to all 64 churches in our county, an idea that he commended as an example to others who might copy the idea in future years.
Mr Lawson thanked the 400 participants, who cycled or walked, or manned Rutland’s churches. In particular, he praised the 300 volunteers who welcomed active participants to their churches and enabled all 64 churches to be open on the day. This makes Rutland exceptional amongst all English counties and is critical to our success: Rutland raises more money per head of population than any other county.
Since the inception of the two-yearly event, Ride + Stride has raised over £250,000, of which about half is typically given directly to the churches nominated by participants and half is used by the Trust for its work in response to requests for assistance. With additional very generous support from bequests, the Trust is now able to give grants totalling about £70,000 each year and in the past five years grants have been made to 35 local churches and places of worship. Mr Lawson thanked all the Trust’s supporters for their magnificent efforts.
The next Ride + Stride will be on Saturday 9th September 2023.
Rutland Ride & Stride 2019
The 2019 event was a great success and raised over £20,000 (just). This is almost exactly the same as the 2017 event, which I still think of as seminal. Yes, the year when for the first time three cyclists managed to cycle to all 64 churches. Others will hopefully follow in their footsteps (or pedals) but nobody can ever take it away from them as a FIRST. In 2019, Tom Case from Hambleton won the Davenport Handley silver cup. He cycled to 52 churches. He told me afterwards that he enjoyed visiting the churches on his route too much and could have added many more to his list if he had just dashed in and out. Well done Tom.
As in previous years all Rutland’s churches were open which is an exceptional achievement unique to Rutland. We owe an enormous debt to the church organisers and recorders for this wonderful feat. This must involve 200/250 people and as in the past most churches generously offered refreshments as well.
Just under 100 cyclists and walkers took part and raised money for 44 churches which is more than in 2017. We welcomed new participants from Caldicote, Lyndon, North and South Luffenham, Stoke Dry and Whissendine as well as from Oakham and Ryhall Methodist churches. Sometimes a village drops off this list because one person leaves the village without a successor which is a great pity.
Margaret and Robert Miles have been great supporters over the years and combine a love of cycling with a love of churches. Yes: Margaret was our High Sheriff in 2019 so we were immensely grateful that she asked what she could do to help us. Centuries ago, the new High Sheriff of Rutland would ride around his (Yes HIS in those days) county on horseback to define his authority. So, Margaret and Robert rode around the county on their bicycles! It took nearly ten hours and they stopped at 23 churches on their way to thank recorders and organisers for their efforts. Lots of people accompanied them on part of the route including Rob Persani of Rutland Radio who cycled half the route with them and broadcast live from all the places where they stopped to meet people along the way. Thank you to Margaret, Robert and Rob. They brought Ride + Stride to the notice of a whole new audience and raised valuable funds for the County Fund.
Beverley Hancock won the best walker prize visiting 18 churches, in support of Thistleton church which many will know has been successfully revived By Bev and friends to be not just a place of worship but as in times of old, a village meeting place. The RHCPT greatly admired and contributed to this work.
Rutland Ride & Stride 2017
We now have the results for the 2017 Ride and Stride. The weather was appalling, with really heavy storms throughout the day and yet the total raised is a little over £20,000 including GiftAid. This compares to about £22,500 in 2015. What a fantastic result and congratulations to all who took part, whether riding, walking, church sitting or organising.
All our churches were open which is yet again a remarkable achievement particularly for churches like Stoke Dry which received only four visitors.
About 130 people participated actively which is 5 down on 2015 but the same as 2013. We know everybody is getting more claims on their time and purses so we think that is a great result.
41 churches actively raised money compared to 42 in 2015 but they were not the same ones!. 7 churches dropped out and 7 came in. What is evident is that one person in a village can make a big difference. Greetham was re-energised by Sylvia Bland, who set up a team (Mud Sweat and Gears), raised lots of money and got great publicity in the Rutland Times. Belton like-wise was re-energised by Dr Ed Bates. Thank you and well done to both!
Our website and social media campaign was more active this year. The new Facebook page (Ride and Stride Rutland) had 57 ‘likes’ and many more visitors.
The electronic paper document distribution process introduced for the first time this year was generally a success and saved a lot of wasted paper. The number of participants was not affected so we will continue with that in 2019.
The most notable achievement was of course the trio, Ben Findlay, Geoff Beetham and Ryan Henry who cycled around to every church in Rutland. They started an hour early at 9 a.m. and finished, despite foul conditions, at 5.30pm.
Equally notable was a solo ride by Jamie Bennett of Tickencote who achieved his personal goal of 60 churches in the official time period of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. John Williams of Morcott continued as ever to defy his age and walked to 14 churches.
The prize giving will be held in February 2018.
Information & Links
Below you will find a list of websites with further information on historic churches both nationwide and throughout Rutland.