The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Peter Price, made a stop off from his 330-mile walk around the diocese to speak to the crew of Portishead's voluntary lifeboat.

The bishop called in on the lifeboat station at Sugar Loaf Bay during his pilgrimage around the perimeter of the diocese.

He was given a guided tour of the trust base and inspected the 22ft long lifeboat, which cost £40,000 and is capable of 38 knots.

The bishop thanked the crew members and told them they did a vital job.

The lifeboat is run by a group of volunteers and costs £30,000 a year to keep on the water.

It is called out on average twice a month and covers 100 miles of the Bristol Channel between Kingston Seymour and the Second Severn Crossing.

Lifeboat trust chairman, Colin Wilson, said: "It was really great to see the bishop and he met members of the crew and had a tour of the station.

"His visit also gave him the chance to rest his weary feet and enjoy a cup of tea and a sticky bun provided by our female trust supporters."

The bishop is doing his walk in five- to 14-mile sections to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of the diocese.

Bishop Peter said: "It is proving a really worthwhile and rewarding exercise.

"People keep stopping me for a chat and I have heard some really fascinating stories along the way."

The walk started on May 4 with the ascent of Glastonbury Tor and will finish back at Glastonbury Abbey on July 4.

See www.bw1100.org.