Pilgrim Street – Contemporary Pilgrimage

Anne Hayward

Going on a journey to a significant place is important in many religions and cultures. Pilgrim Street seeks 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 Pilgrim Street also seeks 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 all my pilgrimages begin and end at my home on the border of Wales and England in the Brecon Beacons National Park. From there, I have walked thousands of miles to places of pilgrimage not only in Wales and England but also further afield to Brittany, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

However, although I have very much enjoyed this pattern in my walking, for some time I’d wanted to get a bit further afield in Britain. So many wonderful places to visit!

So, in early September 2019 I allowed myself to take the train to Lancaster in the north of England and then spent the rest of the month walking peregrinatio in north Lancashire and Cumbria.

This extended prayer walk enabled me to explore an area marked not only by a very distinctive history but also by vibrant contemporary churches. For more details of this trip, please see the Peregrinatio page on this website.

Summer 2020 update:

As the ‘lockdown’ restrictions in Wales and England began to ease, I was pleased to be able to set out on my 2020 pilgrimage in early July , walking from home in south Wales to Winchester and the Isle of Wight and returning via Salisbury and Gloucester. Now back at home after five weeks of walking. Also very pleased to be interviewed on BBC Radio Cornwall on 16th August.

Books by Anne Hayward

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