Cumbrian Cistercian Way

Cumbrian Cistercian Way: Piel Castle to Cartmel Priory (or Grange-over-Sands) – 25 miles, 2-3 days

A pilgrimage through the calming landscape of South Cumbria, in the footsteps of the Cistercian monks across sea and bay via remote chapels, woodland walkways and magical temples.

Begin by hopping into a small ferry to Piel Island, if the ferryman allows. This 14th century fortress, only accessible by water, was built by the Abbot of Furness Abbey to guard Barrow-in-Furness against pirates and Scots raiders. Quarrels over trade and charges of smuggling meant that the monks who lived here were not always on the best of terms with the King and didn't necessarily have his protection. If peckish, make an early stop off at The Ship Inn – a pub placed unlike any other and full of the community history of the island.

Your journey continues past hillside views of Barrow-in-Furness (where they build nuclear submarines) to Furness Abbey, a former Catholic monastery dating back to 1123.  Founded by Stephen of Bois, later King of England, its red sandstone ruins are impressive. It was once the second-wealthiest and most powerful Cistercian monastery in the country, prior to its dissolution during the English Reformation. ‘Cistercian' refers to a monastic order originating in France that broke away from the Benedictines to follow the Rule of St Benedict more closely, and expanded rapidly across Britain and Europe too.

Then onwards through the Vale of Nightshade, via Dalton-in-Furness with its Tower and St Mary Church with a 14th century font, and the prehistoric Urswick Crag stones, to the Priapus Stone – a somewhat crude phallic symbol, now horizontal, that in ancient times the people of Urswick decorated to look like Priapus, the ancient god of fertility and son of Aphrodite. The ancient Greeks and Romans honoured him with temples and wall paintings whilst more recently, coloured rags were smeared with butter or sheep's saliva, and the head was decorated with flowers. These rituals were made in the hope that a 'fruitful procreation would be stimulated'. Up until 1920, the stone had stood upright in a nearby field. 

Continue on to St Mary and St Michael’s Church, the oldest church in the Furness area, existing on this site since the 10th century. There are Viking and ‘Tunwinni’ Crosses, both 9th century. The figure on the north side of the chancel is St James the pilgrim, bearing the scallop shell motif. There is a beauty and homeliness to this church, possibly created by the beautiful arts and crafts wood carvings and the beautiful altar painting of the Last Supper by local James Cranke, who inspired another local Dalton-born artist, George Romney. 

Rejoin the road and saunter to the bronze age Birkrigg Stone Circle (also known as the Druids' Temple or Circle), which dates from 1700-1400 BC. Its dramatic situation, perched over the Morecambe Bay expanse, contributes to the spirit of this place. Walk around the circle and touch the stones before entering to arrive at its centre. When you get there be still, silent and listen to the oracle of the place.

After strolling along Morecambe Bay Sands, overlooking Chapel Island, you come across the peacefully situated Conishead Priory (now Manjushri Kadampa Temple). The temple is surrounded by woodland walkways and hosts a year-round daily schedule of regular meditations, which you can join. It is also home to the World Peace Cafe, and many devotees of the Kadampa tradition (a global Buddhist new religious movement founded by Kelsang Gyatso in England in 1991).

If you have time and the tide is with you, take a detour to Chapel Island, once known as Harlesyde Isle. In the 14th century, Augustinian canons from nearby Conishead Priory built a small chapel on the island to serve the needs of travellers and fishermen working in the Leven fisheries. The island lies on the path of the ancient crossing from Cartmel to Conishead and would have been a place of haven to travellers caught out by the tide, which comes in at the speed of a galloping horse, a natural marvel. Tradition describes its purpose to be the meeting for prayers with the travellers who cross the bay. 

Pilgrims can cross the sands, but they are notoriously dangerous and this crossing needs careful planning, and ideally local knowledge and guidance, but a safe crossing could lead to the magic that only islands can bring.

If you’d rather cross the bay more simply by train to Cark station, stop first in Ulverston at Swarthmoor Hall, formerly the home of Thomas and Margaret Fell, the latter an important player in the founding of the Religious Society of Friends (aka ‘Quaker’) movement in the 17th century. George Fox, the Founder of the Quaker movement, visited several times. The Hall remains in use today as a Quaker retreat house and a place of pilgrimage in its own right.

Approaching the end of your journey, you arrive at Cartmel Priory, a parish church unusually large for the size of its village, and understandably regarded as the ‘Cathedral of the Lakes’. It will drop your jaw. The earliest mention of Cartmel in historical records occurs almost 500 years before the foundations of Cartmel Priory were laid when, in around 680 AD, the monks of Lindisfarne took ownership of the land. The Priory was saved at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries by the villagers protesting that the Priory was in fact their parish church, and so it remains. Spend a moment of silence sitting on the ancient carved wooden misericords in the chancel, holding your intention in your heart, before returning to normal life. Then perhaps eat a sticky toffee pudding in the town that STP originated, and maybe even in one of its two Michelin-starred restaurants. 

If you then walk a couple of miles further to the train station at Grange-over-Sands you can experience the panoramic views atop Hampsfell, looking south over Morecambe Bay and north towards the Lake District.

Above text first appeared in the Idler magazine, Sep-Oct 2024 issue.

Low-cost hostels along route – Witherslack, Humphrey Head (both near Grange-over-Sands) and others nearby.

*NB The orange-coloured route is a modified version of the now out-of-print guide by Ian Brodie, ‘The Cistercian Way: A South Lakeland Walk’. The blue route on the Google Map is what appears in Brodie’s guide.*

Transport
Train to the start at Roose station, then taxi to Roa Island Ferry. Park car in Grange-over-Sands (or Cartmel), then train to Roose, OR park car at Roa Island and make way back to start from destination at end of pilgrimage.

Accommodation
Dalton-in-Furness, Great Urswick, Bardsea, Ulverston/Swarthmoor, Cartmel (in order of distance from start). Break at Urswick if doing 2-day version, or Dalton (1st night) and Ulverston (2nd night) if doing 3-day version.

Guidebook
Available from Amazon (but out-of-print…).

Terrain
Footpaths, fields and small sections of road.

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