AN ANNUAL bike ride to raise thousands of pounds for churches was due to take place today.The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Right Rev. Nigel Stock, and his wife Carolyne were due to be among the cyclists on the Suffolk Historic Churches Sponsored Bike Ride.

AN ANNUAL bike ride to raise thousands of pounds for churches was due to take place today.

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Right Rev. Nigel Stock, and his wife Carolyne were due to be among the cyclists on the Suffolk Historic Churches Sponsored Bike Ride.

Bishop Nigel was riding for his local parish church St Margaret's in Ipswich. He and his wife were planning to do a 25-mile journey with friends via plenty of historic churches, taking them across the county boundary into Essex.

Speaking before the ride, he said: “I last did it [a bike ride] in the 90s around the diocese of Newcastle. My memory is that the churches were further away from each other in the North East, than they are in Suffolk. Carolyne and I are looking forward to visiting as many as possible.”

The cycle ride, which began in Suffolk in 1983, has been gaining popularity in the last 25 years and is now a nationwide campaign. Last year cyclists in the county raised £170,000.

The sponsorship each rider secures is divided equally between the cyclist's nominated church and the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust. Churches across the county will be open to welcome cyclists until 6pm today.