Pilgrim Street Contemporary Pilgrimage
Anne Hayward
Hello and welcome to Pilgrim Street!
Going on a journey to a significant place is important in many religions and cultures. Here at Pilgrim Street, I am working to explore pilgrimage in a contemporary setting in the British Isles, valuing the many ancient Christian sites in Britain and further afield and the traditions and rhythms of prayer that are fundamental to these very special places. However, at Pilgrim Street I also seek to re-interpret pilgrimage in the context of contemporary church life and Christian experience in an increasingly urbanised society.
What is distinctive about Pilgrim Street is that each year I walk on a pilgrimage which begins and ends at my home on the border of Wales and England in the Bannau Brycheiniog ( formerly the Brecon Beacons) National Park. From there, I have walked thousands of miles to ancient Christian sites not only in Wales and England but also further afield to Brittany, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
However, with so many wonderful places to visit, I also undertake what I call peregrinatio ( the old word for pilgrimage) in areas of the British Isles that are more distant from my home or to allow me to explore further in regions I have already visited. These routes are always contiguous with previous pilgrimages, allowing me to extend what I have done on an earlier walk.
My pilgrimages have enabled me to have the privilege of visiting many very interesting churches, chapels and cathedrals with all sorts of fascinating features. Some of these things, such as ancient hogback stones and medieval roodscreens, are included in the ‘Visiting’ section of this website. There you can find a selection of my photos on various topics and some useful information.
Above all, my pilgrimages are contemporary prayer walks, seeking to combine greater understanding of the history of Christianity with the experience of living as a person of faith in modern-day Britain.
Summer 2026 update:
Setting out from home soon after Easter, my 2026 pilgrimage was to St David’s in west Wales via Penrhys in the Rhondda valley, which was an important religious site in the later medieval period. I am also planning to walk from Lichfield to Southwell Minster (which will take me into the county of Nottingham for the first time) in the early autumn as my additional peregrinatio project this year.
Meanwhile, I am busy working on my fourth book, with this being a series of spiritual reflections inspired by some of the the places I have been privileged to visit. I have also recently collaborated with the Tyndale Society on a Tyndale Trail in Gloucestershire to commemorate the close association of William Tyndale, the sixteenth century Bible translator, with this area of the south west of England. This has been prompted by the 500th anniversary this year of the publication of his New Testament, this being the first to derive from the original Greek.
In addition, when I’m at home, I continue to be active in various aspects of ministry, including leading services and preaching in several local places of worship. In addition, as a volunteer, I also help care for a historic church in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches. I also serve as a member of the chaplaincy team on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey), and have again enjoyed a week on the island this summer.
Books by Anne Hayward
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