Student Cross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Student Cross is the annual cross-carrying, walking pilgrimage to Walsingham that takes place at Easter. The pilgrimage was founded in 1948 by a University of London student, Wilfred Mauncote-Carter, who led a group of students including many ex-servicemen, on a walk from London to Walsingham, taking it in turns to carry the Cross. The pilgrimage has grown over the years and currently consists of ten different 'legs' that start from different areas of the country and at different stages of the week leading up to the celebration of the Easter Triduum. The Pilgirmage has been officially Ecumenical since 1972 although it still retains a Catholic flavour.
Six of the legs walk for seven days over a distance of approximately 120 miles. One leg walks for three days over a distance of around sixty miles. Two are for families and are based in King's Lynn and Wells-next-the-Sea. Easter Cross walks for Good Friday only and is generally for older student-crossers who have previously walked full legs. All of the legs meet on the afternoon of Good Friday and celebrate the Easter liturgy together in Walsingham over the Easter weekend.
The ten legs are known as:
- London (starts walking from Epping Forest)
- Northern (starts walking from the village of Keyworth near Nottingham)
- Midland (starts walking from the village of Lowesby near Leicester)
- Essex (starts walking from Colchester)
- Oxford (starts walking from Oxford)
- Kettering (starts walking from near the town of Desborough)
- Ely (starts walking from Ely)
- Peg (based at King's Lynn Youth Hostel)
- Wells (based at Wells-next-the-Sea Youth Hostel)
- Easter Cross (starts walking from North Elmham on Good Friday)
[edit] External links
- Student Cross
- Northern Cross (a similar Easter pilgrimage, which walks to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) off the coast of Northumberland; this was set up by veteran Student Cross walkers in 1976, who were seeking a different destination)
