Bike ’n Hike is back on Saturday 12 September, and once again St John’s will be taking part in this annual event organised by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Historic Churches Trust.

Bike ’n Hike is the Trust’s biggest annual fundraiser and a great way of combining a day out with supporting some of the wonderful old churches and chapels across our two counties. Between 9am and 5pm, hundreds of churches are open to visitors, with participants choosing their own route and visiting as many – or as few – as they wish. Despite the name, you don’t necessarily have to be a keen cyclist: people take part on foot, by bike and in other ways too.

There is a serious purpose behind the fun. The Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust provides grants towards the repair, restoration and development of churches and chapels across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and part of Barnet. Since it was founded in 1991 it has awarded around £4.2 million, helping congregations meet the often daunting cost of caring for historic church buildings. Last year’s Bike ’n Hike alone raised more than £110,000.

And Bike ’n Hike has a particularly nice arrangement for the churches taking part: half the sponsorship money raised comes back to the participant’s nominated church, in our case St John's Lemsford, with the other half supporting the wider work of the Trust.

Kevin & Lucy have set up a Team Lemsford JustGiving page for St John’s, so whether or not you fancy putting on your walking shoes or getting the bike out, you can support this year’s effort. As Kevin says, “We really do need your support to help with the costs of maintaining our old church building.” Donations made through the page go directly to the Trust, with St John’s receiving its share of the money raised.

Please support Team Lemsford by clicking here:
Kevin Earl – Team Lemsford JustGiving page

Of course, sponsorship is only half the story – we’d also love people to join in! In previous years we’ve enjoyed exploring Hertford and its churches, and this year we’re looking at a few different possibilities for our outing. We’ll say more about those shortly, but do keep Saturday 12 September free if you think you might like to come along.

You can find out more about Bike ’n Hike, the work of the Trust and the churches taking part here:

Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust – Bike ’n Hike 2026

Whether you walk, cycle, join us for part of the day or simply give generously to support Kevin and Team Lemsford, every contribution helps both St John’s and the Trust to preserve these remarkable buildings for the future.