The Archbishop of York will visit Ryedale this week.

The Rt Hon and Rt Revd Dr John Sentamu will call at Cedar Barn farm shop near Pickering, on Thursday afternoon followed by Quiet PC in Brawby on Friday.

On Friday 8 and Saturday, January 9 he will be in Helmsley as part of his six-month Pilgrimage of Prayer, Witness and Blessing across the Diocese of York.

The Archbishop will begin his visit to Helmsley at 7.30pm on  January 8  with a ‘What’s on your mind’ question and answer session at All Saints Church in Helmsley. Questions may be sent in advance to tim.robinson123@btinternet.com.

On Saturday January 9, The Archbishop will visit Helmsley’s vibrant Market Place at 2.30pm, meeting some of the local business owners who helped steer the town to victory in the Great British High Street Award’s Best Market Town category last month.

He will then visit Helmsley’s Walled Garden for a tour and to find out more about the garden’s work as a social enterprise, supporting vulnerable adults through the provision of horticultural therapy, funded through tourism, and the work the garden does in the wider community, such as supporting school projects and working with fledgling entrepreneurs to sell their products in its shop.

At 4pm the Archbishop will visit the Helmsley Brewing Company, before taking Evening Prayer at Old Byland Church at 5pm. All are welcome to attend any of the elements of his tour, and he will be accompanied throughout by the Rev. Tim Robinson of Helmsley’s All Saints Church.

During his Pilgrimage, Archbishop Sentamu will be praying for people in the community and will take every opportunity to talk to everyone he meets about the love of God.

Mike I ‘Anson, garden manager at Helmsley Walled Garden, said: “It is a real honour to welcome Archbishop Sentamu to Helmsley Walled Garden and to share with him our work supporting vulnerable adults through horticultural therapy and our social commitment to the wider community in Ryedale.”

Rev. Tim Robinson, the Rural Dean of Northern Ryedale and Vicar of All Saints Church in Helmsley, added: “The Archbishop of York is visiting the whole of Northern Ryedale this week and will be walking through Southern Ryedale in the next few weeks. Helmsley Church is delighted to be working in partnership with Helmsley in Business and we are glad to be celebrating this with Archbishop Sentamu.”

To follow and share in the Archbishop's Pilgrimage, please visit: http://pilgrimage.archbishopofyork.org/. For more information about Helmsley log on to www.visithelmsley.co.uk or follow