All Hallows Church in the village of Goodmanham is where the conversion of King Edwin of Northumbria’s kingdom to Christianity began in 627. Edwin had already embraced the new religion in nearby York, and to seal the deal the pagan temple that stood at Goodmanham was destroyed by his high priest, Coifi. This was a symbolic moment in the spread of Christianity in north-east England.
Matters spiritual often crop up along this walk, which takes in a holy well where people leave offerings to this day, and allows you to sample brews named after pagan witches and their victims. From the car park in Goodmanham, I turn left for the centre of this pretty East Yorkshire village, whose fine brick houses and whitewashed cottages surround the 12th-century church. The Goodmanham Arms stands on the corner, but I resist temptation for now and stop by the church to take in the story of Edwin and Goodmanham, told in stained glass.
