Crich: Archbishop of Canterbury leads hilltop prayers in Derbyshire

The archbishop thanked all those who joined him for prayers

Dozens of people flocked to a hilltop prayer service in Derbyshire led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

People gathered at the Crich Stand memorial tower on Saturday to hear Justin Welby lead prayers during a tour of the county.

The archbishop also visited a food bank in Chesterfield and a children's tea party in Shelton Lock before finishing his tour at Derby Cathedral.

Mr Welby thanked the public for a "wonderful" turnout at the event.

The archbishop praised Derbyshire's beauty

He told the BBC: "I'm here for a day of prayer, a very windy one I must say.

"There are a bunch of people here having a brave picnic whilst we wait to do a prayer at the top of the hill and so far it has been wonderful."

He also thanked everyone who took part in his first "clipping".

The ancient prayer involved people holding hands in a circle around Crich Stand as he blessed everything he could see in front of him.

He said: "It's not said for nothing when people say Derbyshire is one of the most beautiful counties in the country, it's just out of this world."

Liz Blackburn wrapped up warm for the event

Liz Blackburn, from Worksop, attended the service with four generations of her family and said: "I can't put into words how important the Archbishop of Canterbury is.

"It will be special for us as a family to see him and it is very inclusive that he has come here today and has given everybody the opportunity to come along."

Crich Stand honours soldiers killed in action since World War One, and is owned by The Mercian Regiment.

Cindy Clark, assistant regimental secretary, said: "It was a real honour for us when we got asked if the archbishop could use the site for his visit and we are really honoured to have him, the turnout has been great."