THE church at Lockton is dedicated to St Giles. An Athenian by birth, he became unsettled with life there and moved to France where he lived in a retreat which allowed him to speak to God in peace and solitude.

St Giles moved around the country as the years rolled by and finally made his hermitage in a French forest, which again suited his desire for isolation from man.

He spent many years in the forest in solitude speaking only to God and the woodland animals. His diet would have been vegetarian, living on herbs and whatever else he could forage.

Although living in isolation, he became known to the surrounding population and was said to have been a great healer, performing many miracles. He befriended the animals in the forest and became associated with a hind from which he drunk its milk.

He lived his life as he desired being quite happy talking to the animals, God and the angels, until one day a hunting party roamed the forest, their hounds looking for game.

The hounds took the scent of the hind associated with St Giles which fled for refuge with the saint. An arrow was shot at random into the undergrowth where the party last saw the hind, it missed its target but injured the saint.

The hounds followed, closing in for the kill, when they confronted St Giles, who was holding the hind, they miraculously stopped in front of him, but refused to attack.

There are many tales of St Giles in France which have become connected with another Giles who also lived in France and was the abbot of a monastery at Arles.

There does seem to be some confusion between the two men, but St Giles is thought to have lived mainly in the seventh century whereas Abbot Giles lived in the sixth century.

There are a lot of churches in England dedicated to St Giles as well as Lockton. Some have an interesting history as you will find in a church in London.

In researching St Giles, reference is made to him being the patron St of Cripples and I came across a church in the Barbican in London which is called St Giles of Cripplegate and I thought it might be interesting to see if it was connected with cripples.

I found that Cripplegate simply means a tunnel, or covered path in the old English language which in this case went from the Barbican watch tower to the town gate.

But in those days beggars would have been in the streets, especially on a street leading to a church. Many of the beggars would have been crippled or deformed in some way so there is a connection here with St Giles and cripples.

It is sometimes said that a man in solitude is his own dangerous tempter and worst company. Other beliefs say a man who lives alone is either an angel or a devil. But I am sure that St Giles was happy with his religious contemplation in retirement at his hermitage, and truly exchanged all earthly ties for isolation, and dedication to God.

Your route

Start from the YHA and walk towards Levisham, when the road bears right.

Go straight ahead to continue walking through the village until the road ends.

Take the footpath ahead of you over a stone squeeze stile onto a narrow path between houses which leads to a wood.

Enter the wood, keeping straight ahead down the hill. Take care on the steps as you start a steep descent, the path can be slippery if wet.

At the road go left, then immediately left again onto a wide public footpath. Pass through a large gate and keep straight ahead. You soon have good views into the valley and behind you are glimpses of St Mary’s Church. Keep straight ahead at all times on the wide path. Enjoy the view along the valley as you walk through meadow and woodland.

Pass through several gates and eventually you bear right to a junction of tracks.

If you would like to get close to the steam trains at Farwath, bear right through a gate, then right again over a footbridge.

Follow waymarks across a couple of fields and you will reach the railway track, then return back over the footbridge to continue the walk.

If you didn’t go to see the trains, turn left before the gate keeping on a wide track across the field. Go through a gate, then soon bear left and start to ascend. As the ascent becomes steeper, keep plodding on passing confirmation waymarks along the way.

Almost at the top of the ascent, go through a gate, then soon bear right still following waymarks, then bear left at the public bridleway sign to walk to the road. Exit through a small gate.

If you would like refreshment at the Fox and Rabbit Inn, go straight ahead, if not go left onto the road to walk past some houses. Still climbing slightly the road eventually levels out, then starts a gentle descent towards the village.

At the junction, keep left to return to Lockton village past The Pantry, a good place for refreshment at the end of your walk.

The facts

Distance – four miles/6½km

Time – two hours

Terrain – moderate, with one steep slippery descent and one long steep ascent

Best map – OS Outdoor Leisure 27

Start/grid ref – Lockton village, grid ref 843900

Parking – Lockton village with respect for residents

Refreshments – The Pantry at Lockton, Fox & Rabbit off route

Stiles – one squeeze stile

Public toilets – None