Birmingham Cathedral Pilgrimage in a Day

Birmingham Cathedral Pilgrimage in a Day - 4-7.5 miles, 1 day

Linear Route from Sandwell Priory – 7.5 miles

This pilgrimage starts at the ruins of Sandwell Priory, this place name recording the presence of a holy well which still flows today beside the path, named St Augustine’s Well. Moving south towards the city, a Buddhist temple built in traditional Burmese style with gold spire heralds the richness of this walk through Birmingham’s colourful heritage. This pilgrimage then takes on a distinctly traditional character as it moves to pay homage at the shrines of two saints, the first being Birmingham’s newly canonised St John Newman in the Birmingham Oratory.

After a detour to visit the city’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral, pilgrims then visit the shrine of St Chad, the Anglo-Saxon bishop of Mercia who is venerated above the high altar of the city’s Roman Catholic cathedral.

The route then concludes after a further short walk to St Philip’s Cathedral. In collaboration with the British Pilgrimage Trust, this route was created by Nick Mayhew-Smith, co-author of our book Britain’s Pilgrim Places.

Circular Route 1 – 5 miles

The blue line on the Google Map below is a route along the canal which links up at the Buddhist Temple with the burgundy line (the Sandwell Priory route above).

Circular Route 2 – 4 miles

Follow the yellow line on the Google Map below from St Philip’s Cathedral or St Chad's Cathedral to the Birmingham Central Mosque and back again via St Catherine of Siena Church.

Visit Tolkien’s church of St Anne’s Birmingham, founded by Cardinal Newman, and St Martin in the Bullring Church.