Leeds Minster

02/09/2026

Today marks the 185th Anniversary of the present buildings consecration and the 14th Anniversary since becoming a Minster.

Join us on Sunday, 6 September for a special service celebrating 185 years of a church serving the city, and throughout the month for various heritage days out.

14/08/2026

At the Minster we are incredibly proud and thankful for how music enriches our worship.

Much of this beautiful tradition is kept by our Choral Scholars.

Thanks to our Director of Music Alex Woodrow, The Hiking Organist who has raised over £10,000 for our Choral Scholarship programme raising awareness and funds for these talented musicians this summer. You can still support this work by attending or donating to our Organ music recitals - Find out what's on https://leedsminster.org/events/

06/08/2026

As the summer continues, we are grateful for all who have played, listened, supported and joined us.

Through our concerts, recitals and choir life Leeds Minster continues to be a place where musical tradition is not only preserved, but shared and heard by new audiences.

04/08/2026

Thank you so much to all those who have supported Alex and our Choral Scholars! If you haven't donated yet but would like to do so, the fund is still open - see below!

🎉🥾🎹 WE’VE REACHED £10,000! 🎉🥾🎹

What an incredible moment! 💙

Thanks to the amazing generosity of so many people, The Hiking Organist has now reached its original fundraising target of £10,000! 🙌💙

From everyone who donated, attended one of the recitals, welcomed us into churches along the White Rose Way, walked part of the journey, shared our posts, offered encouragement or simply followed the adventure – thank you. Every act of kindness has helped make this possible. ❤️

🥾 104 miles walked
🎹 6 organ recitals
⛪ 6 wonderful churches
💙 Countless memories
🎉 £10,000 raised!

But this isn’t quite the finish line…

While £10,000 is an incredible achievement, it will fund just over six months of the Leeds Minster Choral Scholarship Programme. These scholarships help talented young singers flourish, enrich worship at the Minster and invest in the next generation of church musicians. 🎶✨

💙 Our JustGiving page will remain open until the end of the summer. If you’ve been meaning to donate, or would still like to support the project, there’s still time. Every extra gift—large or small—will help extend the life of the scholarship programme even further. 🎁🎵

This challenge has always been about much more than walking 104 miles. It’s been about people, music, community, friendship and investing in the future. ❤️

From the bottom of our hearts… thank you for helping turn one ambitious idea into something truly special. 🙏💙

🥾🎹 Here’s to every mile walked, every note played and everyone who helped make it happen.

💙🎶🥾

30/07/2026

Congratulations, Alex! And thank you to everyone who has helped or supported him in his amazing endeavours to support our Choral Scholar programme!

💙🙏 THANK YOU! 🙏💙

What an unforgettable week The Hiking Organist has been. 🥾🎹

104 miles walked 🥾
6 days ☀️
6 recitals 🎹
Countless memories ❤️

This challenge simply wouldn’t have been possible without the kindness, encouragement and generosity of so many wonderful people.

⛪ Thank you to every church that opened its doors and gave such a warm welcome:

📍St James Church, Wetherby with Linton
📍 Heslington Church
📍 St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton
📍 St Mary's Priory Church, Old Malton
📍 All Saints’, Thornton-le-Dale
📍 St Marys with Holy Apostles Scarborough

Each place made the journey special in its own way — with generous hospitality, warm audiences, refreshments, and the chance to share music along the way. 🎶☕🍰

🥾 Thank you to everyone who walked part of the route, whether for a few miles or a whole day. Your company, conversation and encouragement meant a great deal.

👏 Thank you to everyone who came along, donated, shared posts, cheered from the roadside, or followed the journey online.

❤️ Thank you to all those who helped behind the scenes — lifts, accommodation, refreshments, photography, publicity, and countless quiet acts of kindness that made everything possible.

A special thank you to Leeds Minster for their wonderful support and encouragement at the very start of this journey. Your warm welcome set the tone for the entire adventure. It was a joy to begin this challenge in such a special place.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 And finally, thank you to family, friends, choir members and colleagues for your constant encouragement from the first step in Leeds to the final note in Scarborough.

Together you’ve helped turn one person’s walk into something much bigger — a celebration of music, community and the generosity of people across Yorkshire. ❤️

We’re now tantalisingly close to reaching our fundraising target! 🎯

If you’ve enjoyed following the journey and would still like to support the next generation of young musicians, the JustGiving page will remain open for a little while longer.

👉 https://www.justgiving.com/page/thehikingorganist

Thank you for being part of this amazing adventure. 🥾🎹❤️

Visit Thornton Le Dale
🥾🎹🌊❤️

26/07/2026

Congratulations Alex Woodrow on an amazing achievement! We look forward to welcoming you back when your feet have recovered!

25/07/2026

Good Alex Woodrow !

🎉🎹 The Final Recital – The Hiking Organist 🥾🌊

After an incredible 104-mile pilgrimage from Leeds to Scarborough along the White Rose Way, the final recital of The Hiking Organist takes place this Saturday! 🙌

📍 St Mary’s Church, Scarborough ⛪
📅 Saturday 25 July
🕒 3:00pm
🎟️ Free admission – retiring collection

Set beneath the shadow of Scarborough Castle and overlooking the beautiful South Bay, St Mary’s provides a spectacular setting for the final concert of this unique musical journey. Alex Woodrow Organist of Leeds Minster, will perform a programme including music by Bach, Mendelssohn, Wesley, Vierne and Widor, bringing six days of walking, music and pilgrimage to a memorable conclusion.

The retiring collection will support the Leeds Minster Choral Scholarship Programme and the mission and ministry of St Marys with Holy Apostles Scarborough.

Whether you’ve followed the whole journey or are joining us for the first time, we’d love to welcome you.

If you can’t make it but would like to support the journey:
👉 https://www.justgiving.com/page/thehikingorganist

🚶‍♂️🎹 Support the journey. Inspire the future. 🌟

25/07/2026

Last leg(s)! Today brings Alex Woodrow to the end of his mammoth hike across Yorkshire and his seventh recital in as many days at St Mary's, Scarborough at 3pm. If you're in the area, why not come and join the celebrations?

24/07/2026

The last stop for our Hiking Organist, Alex Woodrow is St Mary's Church Scarborough.

He is hiking the 104-mile White Rose Way to help raise funds for the Choral Scholars programme for students like Erin, Sophie, Ollie and Natasha.

You can join us for free music and support this incredible work in the link in bio 🎶

23/07/2026

Well done, Alex! Keep going !👌🙏🦶