Brief history of
Student Cross
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In the
autumn of 1947 Wilfred
Mauncote-Carter, organised a cross
carrying walking pilgrimage from
London to Walsingham in Norfolk during
Holy Week 1948. During Holy Week 1948,
some 30 students plus several
chaplains took part in the first
Student Cross pilgrimage from London
to Walsingham. In 1949 a second group
or leg was started, walking from
Nottingham, which would become Northern
Leg. |
Interest in
Student Cross continued to grow and in 1957
two new Legs were created; Midland,
which started from Kettering, and Graduate
Cross (now Easter Cross).
Midland leg walked for a full week, whilst
Graduate Cross, was a one-day walk for
former students who could not walk a whole
week but who still wished to be part of the
pilgrimage. A fourth student group, Oxford
Leg, was started in 1962.
In the mid-1960s Student Cross faced a
period of decline. Midland leg folded and
did not walk again until the mid-1970s.1967
saw the first 'official' women walkers; it
is thought that women had walked in previous
years, although on an 'unofficial' basis.
The 1960s also saw efforts to make the
pilgrimage ecumenical and Oxford Leg soon
had equal numbers of Roman Catholics and
other Christian students. Student Cross was
officially declared ecumenical in 1972 and
has remained so ever since, although it
still has a Roman Catholic flavour.
Student Cross revived in popularity and a
new Midland Leg was started in 1971. 1972
saw the start of Essex
Leg, walking from Colchester, and Kettering
Leg began in1975. Ely
Leg, which walks for 3 days, was added in
1996.
Between 1981
and 1986 there was Family Cross, an
associated pilgrimage for families with very
young children. Family Cross was revived in
1992 as Peg
Leg. The last decade has seen a significant
growth in family legs; Wells
Leg started in 2006 and Wensum
Leg for children of secondary school age
began in 2012.
Student Cross regularly attracts around 300
pilgrims each year.
In the early years Student Cross was under
the auspices of the Catholic Student Council
(CSC) and was responsible for organising
each years walk and in some cases
subsidising the pilgrims. CSC involvement
with Student Cross seemed to end during the
1960s and 70s and since then Student Cross
has been entirely self-organising. In the
1990s, the pilgrimage established a
registered charity, the Student Cross
Association, to support needy
pilgrims who otherwise would not be able to
take part.
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