First 'road trip' of 2011. Early start for a meeting in Penrith with the Churches Trust for Cumbria (CTfC) and representatives of the Cumbria District. Fabulous scenery all the way - white frost-rimed countryside tinged pink by a bright, water-colour sunrise.
The list of Methodist heritage places in the previous guide/directory of Methodist heritage that became the content of the FREE Methodist Heritage Handbook 2010 included nothing from Cumbria. CTfC are looking to create some church trails in the region and we are meeting to explore if we will be able to collaborate.
Really pleased because the MH Committee agreed in October to try asking the regions to help them develop the content of the Handbook for future editions. They also supported using the creation of tours as a way to identify and prioritise Methodist heritage sites. This CTfC proposal could be a great pilot of both these approaches - particularly as the District will be starting with a blank canvas with respect to the Handbook.
If someone could only visit one place or see one artefact of significance to the history of Methodism in your region, where would you send them? Why? What's the local story?
