Historian and podcast presenter Tom Holland inaugurated a new 100-mile walking and cycling route connecting 36 churches across North Wiltshire on Sunday.

Named after Athelstan, the first King of a united England, the route honours the Christian ruler who established Malmesbury as his capital and was interred in Malmesbury Abbey upon his death in 939AD.

The route encompasses parts of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, featuring historic churches ranging from Bremilham, the smallest church in England, to Malmesbury Abbey, a popular visitor attraction.

Holland, author of the 2016 biography 'Athelstan' and patron of the initiative, spoke at Malmesbury Abbey on Sunday, highlighting the significance of the ruler and the pilgrimage route. He said: "It will be no secret to anyone who has listened to my podcast, The Rest Is History, that I championed Athelstan as the greatest of England’s monarchs… and I am also delighted to champion a walking route across his kingdom of Wessex that seeks to remind us of his Christian sensibility and the religious culture of his time."

The route has been developed by the North Wiltshire Mission Area, a Church of England initiative in the Diocese of Bristol. Initially, the Athelstan Pilgrim Way will link 13 walks encompassing 13 churches, with more being added next year.