A FREE walk will take place later this week to celebrate Wirral's Viking history.

Organised by Professor Steve Harding in conjunction with the re-enactment group Viking Chester, people will be able to take part in the St. Olav’s Wirral Viking Heritage Walk on Sunday, July 29.

Now in its 11th year, its the first time that organisers will travel from West Kirby to Chester in one day.

The first part of the walk will begin at St Bridget’s Church, West Kirby and will then head along the Wirral Way to St Mary and St Helen's church in Neston.

Enthusiasts can then return to West Kirby or get on the train from Neston and travel to Chester for the final part of the guided walk to St Olave's Church.

The second part of the walk will start at around 4.20pm and will end by 5pm.

Founded by Viking settlers coming to Wirral from Dublin, St Bridget’s is the home of the famous Viking hogback tombstone, dated to around AD 1000 with ‘Kirby’ meaning the village of the church in Viking.

St Mary and St Helen's houses fragments of at least two 10th century ring headed crosses recording events from the life of a Viking couple.

One of the fragments includes the earliest depiction of a jousting contest with Neston meaning the settlement at the promontory (point of high land) in Viking.

Anyone taking part should meet at the visitor centre of St Bridget’s Church at 9am and after a blessing from Reverend David Chester, plus a chance to see the Viking hogback, the walk will start at 9.30am.

Steve, the author of Ingimund’s Saga: Viking Wirral and Science and the Vikings said: “A millennium ago Wirral was a hugely significant, self-governing Viking enclave with its own leader – the first one of was Ingimund – and own Assembly at Thingwall.

“The whole area is stuffed full of Norse place names with impressive archaeology and of course the Vikings are still with us in that a recent genetic survey showed that up to 50% of the DNA of people from old families on Wirral and neighbouring West Lancashire is Scandinavian in origin.

“This will be the 11th anniversary of the walks – at least in modern times.

“The idea came from Norwegian friends – every year they have an annual pilgrimage from all over Scandinavia heading towards the shrine of St Olav at Trondheim.

“St Olav is the greatly loved patron saint of Norway – his day is July 29 and people walk over up to 100 miles.

“Since we have a St Olave’s church in Chester we thought it would be a good idea to do a mini-walk or pilgrimage to celebrate our own great heritage.”

All walkers are advised to bring water and sandwiches.

For more information visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/-sczsteve/Olsok.htm

To take part, email Steve before the morning of the walk here: steve.harding@nottingham.ac.uk