A SOUTH Lakeland man is setting off next week on a new Lake District pilgrimage.

John Fleetwood, of Garnett Bridge, near Kendal, has devised the 275-kilometre route, which takes in some of his favourite Cumbrian sights.

As a keen walker and a committed Christian, John wanted to put together a route that would be both physically challenging and spiritually rewarding.

"I did a long journey in the Alps last year," he said. "I was really trying to feel like I actually belonged in the environment. If you sleep in the mountains you feel a lot more part of it. You feel more of a part of the landscape."

He will set off on June 24 and the Rt Rev Robert Freeman, Bishop of Penrith, will celebrate the launch of the pilgrimage by anointing John in the River Sprint at Burneside.

The route, which will take John seven days, features seven 'natural cathedrals' of the area including Pillar Rock, Scafell Crag and Cathedral Cave.

"People go and visit cathedrals," he said. "But I think some of the rocks are much more magnificent than some actual cathedrals."

John, who attends St Thomas' Church in Kendal, said that he often feels much closer to God when he is outdoors than he does when he is sat in a service.

"Particularly if there's no people around," he said. "It's all very big and you feel quite small and you are aware that this has been around for millions of years."

John cites John Muir as part of his inspiration for the journey - the John Muir Trail is 211 miles long and runs from Yosemite Valley to Mt Whitney, in California.

"John Muir said something along the lines of: 'I would rather be in the outdoors thinking about God than I would be in church thinking about the mountains'" said John. "I would have to agree with that."

Over the course of the trip, John will be combining walking, scrambling and climbing, as well as meeting friends on the way.

He said that many pilgrimages are quite easy whereas he wanted something a little more interesting but that could be easily adapted for those who were not able to undertake the more strenuous sections.

His hope is that others will attempt the pilgrimage once he has completed it and has set up a website to document it and offer guidance. He said that anyone who repeats it gets a cream tea on the patio at his house.

Students from the University of Cumbria will be making a documentary about his journey which they hope will be shown at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival in November.