Walking the Quaker Walk
On 7 October, pupils from Year 3 to College II spent the afternoon on a Quaker Walk around York, taking in sites of historical significance to the city’s Quaker community.
Junior School had a shorter route and were the first to arrive at Friargate Quaker Meeting House, where they met and listened to Barbara Windle, a former Head of The Mount.
“She told us about Quaker traditions and some history about The Mount School and where it used to be in York. She also told us about how Judi Dench used to get out of Games lessons,” said Edith (Year 6).
In the Senior School, girls enjoyed respite at Homestead and also at Friargate Meeting House. There was a happy co-incidence for Year 10s as they walked the Bar Walls, to come across Mrs Moore, who had originally established The Mount’s Quaker Walk when she was teaching Religious Studies at the school. Mrs Moore has since retired and was delighted to see that the Quaker Walk is still celebrated as an event for the entire school. Mrs Moore was on her way to hang an environmental protection banner in front of York Minster as a response to COP26, and the girls were delighted to see she is still encouraging others to make their voices heard.
The Walk took in many sites of interests throughout York, including the Rowntree family’s house at Blossom Street, Tanners Moat where the Rowntree company first began, Homestead Park which remains open to the public, City Library which was founded by the Rowntree family and Black Horse Passage where Joseph Rowntree’s father opened a soup kitchen for Catholic Irish immigrants trying to escape the Potato Famine.