A LITTLEBURY churchgoer with a passion for historic buildings has raised more than �1,000 on a cycling tour of the area’s places of worship.

Paul Hobbs, 50, took part in Ride & Stride, a Friends of Essex Churches Trust initiative to raise money for the preservation of historic churches and chapels.

He managed 40 church visits on his 60-mile route, with half the money raised going to the trust and half to his local church, Holy Trinity in Littlebury.

“I feel really strongly about historic buildings as they are such an important part of our heritage,” said Paul, who works for architecture practice Building Design Partnership.

“Many of these churches need regular money for maintenance and restoration. I feel as though I have made a bit of a difference towards raising funds for the trust and the church.”

Paul started out at 7.20am on Saturday and was back in Littlebury at about 5.30pm. His route took him to churches in Saffron Walden, Sewards End, Radwinter, Hempstead, Wimbish, Thaxted, Debden, Widdington, Newport, Wicken Bonhunt, Rickling, Clavering, Langley, Little Chishill, Great Chishill, Heydon, Elmdon, Wenden Lofts, Littlebury Green, Strethall, Great Chesterford, Little Chesterford and Littlebury.

He said: “It is an interesting way of seeing some of these churches and I’d highly recommend people pay a visit to some. I thought the most outstanding were the hamlet church at Wenden Lofts, St Mary the Virgin at Debden and Holy Trinity Littlebury, with Holy Trinity perhaps the best – but then I may be a little biased.”