My 2024 pilgrimage saw me making my way from home to the island of Guernsey and then on to Brittany, where I walked for several days on the historic Tro Breiz route, finishing at the cathedral at Dol-de-Bretagne. With this believed to have been founded by St Samson in the sixth century (as was the church dedicated to him on Guernsey in the village he also gave his name to), following in the footsteps of this illustrious Welshman-who would go on to be considered one of the founder saints of Brittany-was certainly one of the themes of my pilgrimage.
Walking from home to the ferry port at Poole in Dorset also allowed me to take in the ancient Saxon church in Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire and the nearby pilgrim chapel at St Mary’s Tory, as well as to re-visit the cathedral in Salisbury. But, as an added bonus, I was also able to stay for two nights on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, which is very much the spiritual home of the now worldwide Scouting and Guiding movements.
Above all, I have been hugely encouraged that this year marked my tenth annual pilgrimage!
