Eight members of Okehampton’s Inspiration Church walked an extra 30 miles on Good Friday (April 7) as they took part in the Walk of Witness.

Though many churches across the country complete a Walk of Witness which sees Christians walk through the streets of their town to remember how Christ carried his cross through the streets of Jerusalem, several of Okehampton’s Inspiration Church members decided to add the 27 miles of Cornwall’s Saints’ Way to their walk.

Inspiration Church members completed the 27-mile stretch in two days.

Rev Mike Davies from Inspiration said: ‘The weather was ideal for walking with blue skies and a cold breeze. There were more hills than we thought but we all completed the walk. There were some stunning views and interesting historical sites.’

The route follows Celtic cross markers and tracks the probable route of early Christian pilgrims making their way from Ireland and Wales to Brittany or Santiago de Compostella in Spain.

The Saints’ Way crosses through mid-Cornwall starting in Padstow on the north Cornish coast and finishing in Fowey on the south coast, which is where ancient Christians may have set sail to mainland Europe.

The British Pilgrimage Trust has recounted the rediscovery of this ancient route when some walkers found a series of forgotten granite stiles in 1984 which led to the now well-signposted way passing by footbridges, old tracks and medieval churches.

The route is also known as the Mariner’s Way, because it would have been used by early Celtic traders and pilgrims crossing the Irish and English channels in wooden coracles in order to avoid the dangerous currents, rocks and pirates around Land’s End.

There is an alternative route which covers the last 11 miles of the walk and passes through Luxulyan, St Blazey and Tywardreath — the site of a medieval priory.