A FREE Viking walk will take place next week to mark Saint Olav's Day.
Organised by Professor Steve Harding, Viking enthusiasts will be able to take part in the St. Olav’s Wirral Viking Heritage Walk on Monday, July 29.
Every July thousands flock to Nidaros Cathedral in Norway, where St Olav is buried, to show their respect.
In Wirral, pilgrims don't have to travel hundreds of miles but can walk to St Olave's Church in Chester.
Meeting at 9am, the first part of the walk will begin at St Bridget’s Church, West Kirby and will then head along the Wirral Way via Thurstaston Visitor Centre, Heswall and then onto St Mary and St Helen's church in Neston.
Enthusiasts can then travel to Chester via train for the final part of the guided walk along the City Walls to St Olave's Church followed by refreshments.
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.
For more information about the walk, visit the St Olav's website:
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/-sczsteve/Olsok.htmTo take part, email Steve before the morning of the walk here: steve.harding@nottingham.ac.uk
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