It combines glorious scenery with superb
wildlife and striking geology, and it also visits many places that were
crucial in George Fox’s journey of 1652. He preferred to deliver his
sermons outdoors, dismissing churches as ‘steeple-houses’. His long walk
and discussions with Seekers and other dissidents were the catalyst for
the creation of the Society of Friends, first known as Quakers.
From
Pendle Hill, where Fox had his vision, to Fox’s Pulpit, where he gave
his ‘Sermon on the Fell’ to a crowd of over 1000, the route is steeped
in Fox’s personal journey. This 62-mile Way ends at Sedbergh, a town
rich in Quaker heritage, to be followed by two day-walks, one a circuit
that takes in Fox’s Pulpit. The whole route can be completed comfortably
inside one week. It will appeal not only to all Quakers who enjoy
walking, but also to those walkers who don’t yet know the remarkable
story of Fox’s 1652 journey and life.
A
second volume takes the walker onward from Sedbergh to Ulverston for
the second part of Fox’s journey, and to Swarthmoor Hall where he met
Margaret Fell and which later hosted many Quaker Meetings. In 1669 he
married her and Margaret Fell Fox is widely regarded as the mother of
Quakerism. Friends Way 2 will follow in 2023.
