Kent Life feature on the Old Way – Jane Maltby wrote this beautiful article on the Old Way featuring the BPT’s Dawn Champion, our Old Way Project Lead. In it, you will hear about our plans for how she is making the Old Way ready for purpose. Waymarking, Sanctuary accommodation etc.
It’s very exciting to be starting to engage with communities along the Way. Do subscribe to our Old Way Online Guide, or Become a Friend of BPT as well, while you’re at it.
Religion News Service. We thank Emily MacFarlan Miller for this thoughtful and timely article. The RNS are an ‘open to all’ religious and secular broadcaster with global reach. The article has appeared in America, and as of yesterday, Australia.
School-House-Magazine-Pilgrimages
General Press about Pilgrimage
Secular Pilgrims: why ancient trails still pack a spiritual punch Guardian article. We’re very excitedly awaiting the release of Peter Stanford’s book ‘Pilgrimage: Journeys of Meaning‘ on Apr 29 and here’s a piece out in the Guardian today, mentioning the North Wales Pilgrims Way.
Cathedral Cycle Routes ‘Cycling with Purpose’ week-long challenge in the 30 May – 5 June Bike Week organised by Cycling UK . The founder of CCR, Shaun Cutler, Sustrans and the Association of English Cathedrals have done sterling work bringing it all together. The BPT is an advisor to the project, which we hope will have a long-term legacy. For the cyclists amongst you, or your non-walking friends, check this out.
Pilgrimage featured in Daily Mail! St Cuthbert’s Way, North Wales Pilgrims Way and Pilgrims Way to Canterbury mentioned.
Open to All Guardian editorial. When making pilgrimage it doesn’t matter how or whether you identify with any of the belief categories in this Guardian editorial, because you don’t need to believe in any one system of thought to practice pilgrimage. Pilgrimage is a huge amount about putting one foot in front of the other and allowing yourself to react to holy places in your own personal way. Previous beliefs are not always relevant to what you experience when you are actually there. The ideas discussed in this article are fascinating as a cultural shift. [Congratulations to Prof Linda Woodhead for all the work she does on this subject.]
Northern Saints Trails iNews feature – Congratulations to route creator David Pott and Visit Durham and The Auckland Project for the creation of the Northern Saints Trails. The iNews article features the Finchale Camino Inglés, which also doubles up as the Way of Life. Enjoy exploring this amazing region of pilgrimage.
BPT Advisor Prof Kate Barush’s brilliant lecture (YouTube video below) on the use of song as a relic on pilgrimage, which she experienced on a BPT guided pilgrimage (@pilgrim_travels). Her lecture analyses the use of this one song by St Godric in modern pilgrimage.
Godric was a 12-century pirate turned hermit who lived in Finchale near Durham for about 60 years, charming stags and other animals, and generally being closely in touch with nature. Thomas Becket used to travel to him for advice. Godric was also the first recorded pilgrim from England to Santiago.
Ever since we met about four years ago, Kate has been an invaluable source of inspiration on how we talk about pilgrimage – her Glastonbury virtual pilgrimage last year (if you sign up to our email newsletter in the footer) was innovative in how it wove great art and mythology into the history of the Glastonbury area. We hope to work with Kate much more, and really hope her book ‘Imaging Pilgrimage’ (coming out soon by Bloomsbury) is read by a lot of people!