"The British pilgrimage problem" - magazine article

[Bradypus]

An article on the website of The Critic commenting on the current resurgence of interest in pilgrimage and some of the obstacles to the development of Camino-style supported pilgrimage routes in the UK.

The British pilgrimage problem | James Jeffrey | The Critic Magazine

Does the UK have a pilgrimage problem? As with most things vaguely religious, we Brits are surprisingly clumsy and prone to get flustered. Hence we miss opportunities, both economic and spiritual.

thecritic.co.uk

 

[Ali@59]

We have quite a few pilgrimages in Scotland.

• St Cuthbert’s Way - Melrose to Lindisfarne
• St Magnus Way - Orkney
• St Oswald’s Way - Northumberland
• Fife Pilgrim Way - Culross to St Andrews
• Whithorn Way - Glasgow to Whithorn
• Forth to Farne Way - North Berwick to Lindisfarne
• St Munn’s Way - Cowal Peninsula Argyll
• St Kentigern Way (aka St Mungo) - Solway Firth to Glasgow
• Northern Pilgrims Way - Tain to Kirkwall
• Three Saints Way - Killin to Saint Andrews
• Deeside Way - Aberdeen to Ballater
• Dalriada Way - Tarbert to Luing
• Iona to Killin - to eventually connect Iona to St Andrews

 

[dick bird]

One word - accommodation. Thanks to that wonderful British invention, the Ordnance Survey map (and that other wonderful British invention - the Right of Way) it is possible to walk between any two points in the United Kingdom with only the slightest possibility of getting lost. However, should you be so eccentric as to want to stay the night somewhere in a bed with a roof over your head you will have to fork out that traditional sum known as 'a king's ransom'. We would love to walk any number of pilgrimage routes in the country I grew up in. But we are not obscenely rich. Establish a refuge/hostel/budget accommodation system, and you are in business, but I can't discuss the improbability of that without getting a lot more political than a moderator should.

 

[Bradypus]

We would love to walk any number of pilgrimage routes in the country I grew up in. But we are not obscenely rich.

My problem too My own solution for walking UK routes is to carry a very small tent or a bivvy bag. Mostly wild camping with the occasional night in hostels or a hotel. Covid-permitting I meet up once a year with a friend and walk for 10 days or so. This year I have persuaded him to try the Camino Frances to see the full madness of it for himself! Lighter on the rucksack and much lighter on the bank balance too.

 

[JZA]

An article on the website of The Critic commenting on the current resurgence of interest in pilgrimage and some of the obstacles to the development of Camino-style supported pilgrimage routes in the UK.

The British pilgrimage problem | James Jeffrey | The Critic Magazine

Does the UK have a pilgrimage problem? As with most things vaguely religious, we Brits are surprisingly clumsy and prone to get flustered. Hence we miss opportunities, both economic and spiritual.

thecritic.co.uk

An interesting article but I think the author misses a major point. Britain is a country where religion is in decline (and has been for decades) and a Pilgrimage is thought of as religious undertaking. i think we are at the point that as many people attend Mosque each week as Church.
As an English pilgrim it is normal for me to be the only English person in the albergue. I realised this on my first pilgrimage when in Padron I raised a toast to the seven Germans I was dining with, thanking them for all speaking English. The same effect is happening in Ireland. My wife is from Dublin and her mother went on a number of pilgrimages organised by the local priest. On one memorable occasion returning from Lourdes with a walking stick having slipped on the steps at the shrine.
Her grandchildren are now starting families of their own and not one of them bothered to get marride before having a child.
The future of Pilgrimage in Britian is probably in the hands of the BBC who has just started a new series of Pilgrimage, this one covering the journey to Fatima.

 

[Bradypus]

An interesting article but I think the author misses a major point. Britain is a country where religion is in decline (and has been for decades) and a Pilgrimage is thought of as religious undertaking.

There have been a number of tv, radio and newspaper pieces this week in the UK about pilgrimage - mostly tied-in with the new BBC series. Something that seems common to most that I've read/heard/seen lately is that increasingly people are approaching pilgrimage as a non-religious experience. Aware of its cultural and religious origins of course but feeling no need to identify with that personally. Of course that takes us straight back to the old chestnuts of what is a pilgrim? and what is pilgrimage? and I really do not want to go down that particular rabbit hole yet again!

The future of Pilgrimage in Britian is probably in the hands of the BBC who has just started their third series of Pilgrimage, this one covering the journey to Fatima.

The current series is the fifth one.
The series has certainly prompted a spate of comment in the past few days and no doubt will keep it up for a couple more weeks. But the growth in interest in pilgrimage here in the UK goes back long before the BBC started sending celebrities off to foreign parts and has deeper roots to sustain it. The revival of the Caminos has been a driver for massive investment and participation in pilgrimage routes all over Europe and beyond.

 

[LavanyaLea]

One word - accommodation.

Yes.... many of these British pilgrimages official websites have information about accommodation along the routes and although some have YHAs and other budget hostels, they don't cover the whole stretch! Scotland allows wild camping but errrr there are very few days in the year that I would like to do that I think.

The latest census showed that now less than 50% British people described themselves as religious. Although the majority of people also no longer do the Camino de Santiago for religious reasons (30% something like that from the Pilgrim's Office figures?). So perhaps one angle to encourage pilgrimage in Britain is from spiritual and, the fashionable word of the year "mental health check".

]Paragraph on specific religious aspects removed by moderator, so that follow-up debate/clarification does not take place here]

These are barriers for UK residents, or why not more UK residents show interest in doing a pilgrimage in the UK. So perhaps we should encourage more internationals to come here to do a pilgrimage?

There is Brexit. The number of French school children visiting the UK on coaches is down. Tour operators going bust. Etc. Europeans are used to travelling with carrying just their ID cards and now they need passports to enter the UK. To us, it's obvious. But it's another barrier to UK tourism. I’m not arguing about the pros and cons of Brexit but merely referencing some published facts.

Anecdotally my French friend cancelled his family motorhome holiday to the UK because he realised too late that his passport had expired (after 2 years not used) and his toddler didn't even have one! So they went to Spain instead.

For nationals who have to apply for visas everywhere they travel, it's more "economical" to apply for 1 Schengen visa which allows them to travel to many countries should they wish to do so after their Camino, than having to apply specifically for British visa to just visit 1 country.

I have many many devoutly Catholic relatives in Asia who would routinely make pilgrimages every year. They go to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and Israel. They don't go to the UK to make a pilgrimage, perhaps they don't even know there is such a thing! The foreign attraction to visit the UK is first the Royal family, second Scotland, and Harry Potter, and third football (totally my own humble opinion).

The future of Pilgrimage in Britian is probably in the hands of the BBC who has just started their third series of Pilgrimage, this one covering the journey to Fatima.

Perhaps we should encourage the BBC to do more of their Pilgrimage series in the British Isles! They did it in Scotland for 1 series, then they have also covered Camino de Santiago, Via Francigena, Turkey, and now Fatima. Maybe 1 UK pilgrimage for each international one?

If there is a concerted effort from the Government (tourism revenue, rejuvenating remote villages, etc), the Church of England/Scotland/Church in Wales, the Roman Catholic church, charities such as British Pilgrimage Trust, History Points, National Trust, English Heritage, etc then I'm sure it is doable.

And then maybe us here too, in an English-speaking forum, we should be promoting our own pilgrimages? If one can plan a solo hike through Transylvania or Albania then one shouldn't say oh it's too complicated to arrange one in the UK?

 

[peregrino_tom]

The British pilgrimage problem | James Jeffrey | The Critic Magazine
Does the UK have a pilgrimage problem? As with most things vaguely religious, we Brits are surprisingly clumsy and prone to get flustered. Hence we miss opportunities, both economic and spiritual.

Interesting piece, but I found my attention wandering elsewhere after I read the line 'on my first Camino I found myself surrounded by lesbian atheists'

 

[Kathor1]

Thanks for the link to the article, @Bradypus. I’d love to write a long reply, as is my habit but hey it is Easter Sunday and the sun is shining and beckons to go outside so just one small request: please don’t let the thread drift into what becomes “religious discussion” in the sense of the forum rules or a discussion about the practical aftermath of Brexit. It would be a shame …

 

[Kathor1]

Interesting piece, but I found my attention wandering elsewhere after I read the line 'on my first Camino I found myself surrounded by lesbian atheists'

Ok, thanks for sharing but do people find this funny? There are many groups walking on Camino who are not a random ”Camino family”: students from the same university and study subject; women from a housewives/homemakers association in Malaga (asociacion de amas de casa or something like that, Britain has something similar); members of a bowling club; and yes, lesbians - fwiw, there are tour operators who organise trips, open to all women btw and probably created as a protection against open and hidden discrimination when travelling; and groups of atheists although there I lack knowledge of whether they just happen to have found each other on the Camino or started out as a group.

The point is of course that Camino pilgrimage is a special creature or creation because unlike other forms of travel known as pilgrimage it attracts an unusually broad spectrum of society and not only those of a specific faith or branch within a faith.

 

[Bradypus]

A lot of shrines and pilgrimage destinations in France and Spain are based on saint worshipping - Marian apparitions, bilocation of the Virgin Mary in Zaragoza, etc. And this kind of practice is viewed as idolatry and discouraged amongst Protestants, no?

As you also pointed out most Brits no longer consider themselves religious in any active sense and so traditional Protestant views of such questions might not be much of an issue in the UK these days. I walked my own first Camino just after finishing a theology degree in a Scottish university - a course largely geared towards the training of candidates for ordained ministry in the Church of Scotland. Although as a Protestant pilgrim to Santiago I was far from unique I was still a rare enough species at the time to pique the interest of the cathedral priest in charge of welcoming pilgrims and handing out Compostelas. We spent twenty minutes or so in fairly deep theological discussion on pilgrimage and how it could be interpreted and practiced from a non-Catholic perspective.

 

[Former member 107885]

Fascinating subject!

I think marketing the ‘treks’ as ‘pilgrimages’ would be a tough task in UK! Religion just doesn’t seem to be a ‘thing’ in UK, very uncool, and association with it would not drive uptake on my view. I would talk from a ‘trekking’ standpoint if I had a marketing budget and only vaguely reference the religious aspect. Mental health, ‘time out’, decluttering, etc, would be the territories I would explore. Maybe tap into history. People can then opt in or opt out depending on what their needs are.

Interestingly to me, I wasn’t aware of the whole pilgrim thing until I found this forum. My three caminos were during Covid so it was mainly younger Europeans and I don’t recall any use of the word ‘pilgrim’ or any religious talk. Sure many will find otherwise and that’s fine.

 

[Kirkie]

An article on the website of The Critic commenting on the current resurgence of interest in pilgrimage and some of the obstacles to the development of Camino-style supported pilgrimage routes in the UK.

The British pilgrimage problem | James Jeffrey | The Critic Magazine

Does the UK have a pilgrimage problem? As with most things vaguely religious, we Brits are surprisingly clumsy and prone to get flustered. Hence we miss opportunities, both economic and spiritual.

thecritic.co.uk

Quote: "The good news for growing British pilgrimage, as the British Pilgrimage Trust notes, is that “much of the core infrastructure is already in place — off-road footpaths, under-used churches, pubs and village shops. We simply need to join the dots”
Simply? Join the dots? Follow @Annette london and others for reports...
First though, thanks for the link to the article. There are wonderful shoots of hope and new life without much effort on the part of us humans.
It is just a fact though, that it is cheaper to be on pilgrimage in Spain or Portugal.
Also warmer.
Also wetter, depending on the location.

I am, I suppose, a Brit. I am also in fact Irish.
In neither locality is there the invitation to make pilgrimage reasonable, cost-wise. Unless you have a tent or the inclination to rough it. Or you choose a week's pilgrimage, equivalent to several in Spain or Portugal.
I did, and it was wonderful! (Barrow Way, from Robertstown to St Mullins). Pilgrimage yes, made so by intention.
The older I get, in actual years and thus with opportunity to reflect on life, the more I value the opportunities to ponder the place of pilgrimage, in any (religious) tradition.
This evening, I will pay attention to the first of the latest BBC series on Pilgrimage.
Thanks to you, @Bradypus.

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

I am not a religious person, but I have walked several camino and intend to do another in 2023. I love the sense of history and the thought that many people have trod these same paths over the years. I visit all the churches and cathedrals en route and admire the amazing architectural feats of the early builders. Religion doesn't get in my way, but I am grateful for it since it gave rise to the Camino de Santiago.

 

[Former member 107885]

Interesting piece, but I found my attention wandering elsewhere after I read the line 'on my first Camino I found myself surrounded by lesbian atheists'

Ok, thanks for sharing but do people find this funny? There are many groups walking on Camino who are not a random ”Camino family”: students from the same university and study subject; women from a housewives/homemakers association in Malaga (asociacion de amas de casa or something like that, Britain has something similar); members of a bowling club; and yes, lesbians - fwiw, there are tour operators who organise trips, open to all women btw and probably created as a protection against open and hidden discrimination when travelling; and groups of atheists although there I lack knowledge of whether they just happen to have found each other on the Camino or started out as a group.

The point is of course that Camino pilgrimage is a special creature or creation because unlike other forms of travel known as pilgrimage it attracts an unusually broad spectrum of society and not only those of a specific faith or branch within a faith.

Was it being gay that was the issue or being an atheist?

 

[dick bird]

Can we keep to the point and not be distracted by off-hand remarks? Or else we will have to close what is an otherwise interesting thread.

 

[Former member 107885]

Can we keep to the point and not be distracted by off-hand remarks? Or else we will have to close what is an otherwise interesting thread.

Sure! Sorry great thread!

 

[TrvlDad1]

I loved the long, historical “treks” in the UK when I worked there in younger years. But cost, crowds and lack of infrastructure were issues, and to me all three detract from the spiritual nature of my walking. Age has turned my treks into pilgrimages and I would love to walk there again, but I doubt the UK will compete with Iberia in my lifetime. Too bad really.

 

[Ali@59]

There is talk about converting disused churches in small villages on the Fife pilgrim route into hostels but these same churches will probably turn into restaurants or houses as in towns and villages up and down Scotland and probably UK as a whole

 

[VNwalking]

Britain is a country where religion is in decline (and has been for decades) and a Pilgrimage is thought of as religious undertaking.

Religion is in decline in Spain, too. Not to mention the fact that a great number of people walking a camino don't view it as a religious activity, but as a long affordable walk with many inner and outer benefits.
As @Kathar1na says:

Camino pilgrimage is a special creature or creation because unlike other forms of travel known as pilgrimage it attracts an unusually broad spectrum of society and not only those of a specific faith or branch within a faith.

The roots of this may well be multifactorial, but these posts emphasize the sad part. When a camino is cheaper by far than a long walk at home you know you have a problem - without needing to mention any other reason.

Lighter on the rucksack and much lighter on the bank balance too.

It is just a fact though, that it is cheaper to be on pilgrimage in Spain or Portugal.
Also warmer.

you choose a week's pilgrimage, equivalent to several in Spain or Portugal.

But cost, crowds and lack of infrastructure were issues

 

[Harington]

We have quite a few pilgrimages in Scotland.

• St Cuthbert’s Way - Melrose to Lindisfarne
• St Magnus Way - Orkney
• St Oswald’s Way - Northumberland
• Fife Pilgrim Way - Culross to St Andrews
• Whithorn Way - Glasgow to Whithorn
• Forth to Farne Way - North Berwick to Lindisfarne
• St Munn’s Way - Cowal Peninsula Argyll
• St Kentigern Way (aka St Mungo) - Solway Firth to Glasgow
• Northern Pilgrims Way - Tain to Kirkwall
• Three Saints Way - Killin to Saint Andrews
• Deeside Way - Aberdeen to Ballater
• Dalriada Way - Tarbert to Luing
• Iona to Killin - to eventually connect Iona to St Andrews

But do you have the infrastructure?

 

[Harington]

One word - accommodation. Thanks to that wonderful British invention, the Ordnance Survey map (and that other wonderful British invention - the Right of Way) it is possible to walk between any two points in the United Kingdom with only the slightest possibility of getting lost. However, should you be so eccentric as to want to stay the night somewhere in a bed with a roof over your head you will have to fork out that traditional sum known as 'a king's ransom'. We would love to walk any number of pilgrimage routes in the country I grew up in. But we are not obscenely rich. Establish a refuge/hostel/budget accommodation system, and you are in business, but I can't discuss the improbability of that without getting a lot more political than a moderator should.

I recently walked from my home in Suffolk to Walsingham - only around 100km. The whole enterprise cost me just shy of £400 for accommodation, evening meals, other food and transport back. Even if there had been 'sanctuary' churches on the route I took I doubt I'd have availed myself of them this time as it was a week of constant wet snow, sleet and blizzards and I'm now an old woman. The accommodation varied widely- one memorable and expensive place provided the very (very!) worst of British hotellerie. I agree with all the article says.

 

[Bradypus]

But do you have the infrastructure?

That's the big issue. It is fairly easy to find some points of religious and historical significance and draw a line on a map connecting them and give it a name. Not too expensive or time consuming to put up some signposts and print a few maps. There have been many such projects in recent years. But in practice they have largely relied on the existing accommodation options and in the UK that is usually expensive by comparison with Spain.

Even if there had been 'sanctuary' churches on the route I took I doubt I'd have availed myself of them this time as it was a week of constant wet snow, sleet and blizzards and I'm now an old woman.

There have been a few "sanctuary church" or "champing" schemes created recently. When you look more closely many are almost as expensive as a budget B&B.

 

[mickcope]

I’ve not done the sums. But I work on the basis it is cheaper for me to fly to spain and walk than it is to walk the South West Costal path. It is such a shame. But the cost of accommodation and living expenses becomes prohibitive Mick

I recently walked from my home in Suffolk to Walsingham - only around 100km. The whole enterprise cost me just shy of £400 for accommodation, evening meals, other food and transport back. Even if there had been 'sanctuary' churches on the route I took I doubt I'd have availed myself of them this time as it was a week of constant wet snow, sleet and blizzards and I'm now an old woman. The accommodation varied widely- one memorable and expensive place provided the very (very!) worst of British hotellerie. I agree with all the article says.

 

[Vacajoe]

Having walked the St James Way from Southampton to Reading, I can tell you that the lack of affordable accommodations is the key deterrent to popularizing these routes. Finding sub-50£ rooms was very difficult.

The Confraternity of St James based in London has done a tremendous job publicizing pilgrimage routes both in the UK and beyond. Their guides provide excellent route descriptions and suggested stages plus they have regular meetings to build fellowship of interested walkers. Unfortunately, until the support is there in villages, UK routes will remain mostly for locals who can bus/train to daily stages.

 

[fransw]

I do not want speak about religion as such but rather the cultural-historical aspect of religion. What concerns me is the education that youngsters get at school now about it in my country ( Belgium). They don't have the slightest idea about the stories of the gospels. Is this important? I don't know but what I can imagine is when younsters walk the Camino and they watch the tympanum of a cathedral ( Conques for example) for them it is a sort of puppetshow which they don't understand. Of course I understand you can walk the Camino for a lot of reasons ( sport, ...) but the loss of the cultural aspect makes me feel a bit sad.

 

[mariahiles]

We have quite a few pilgrimages in Scotland.

• St Cuthbert’s Way - Melrose to Lindisfarne
• St Magnus Way - Orkney
• St Oswald’s Way - Northumberland
• Fife Pilgrim Way - Culross to St Andrews
• Whithorn Way - Glasgow to Whithorn
• Forth to Farne Way - North Berwick to Lindisfarne
• St Munn’s Way - Cowal Peninsula Argyll
• St Kentigern Way (aka St Mungo) - Solway Firth to Glasgow
• Northern Pilgrims Way - Tain to Kirkwall
• Three Saints Way - Killin to Saint Andrews
• Deeside Way - Aberdeen to Ballater
• Dalriada Way - Tarbert to Luing
• Iona to Killin - to eventually connect Iona to St Andrews

Do these pilgrimages have inexpensive accomodations like the albergues in Spain?

 

[Bradypus]

Having walked the St James Way from Southampton to Reading, I can tell you that the lack of affordable accommodations is the key deterrent to popularizing these routes. Finding sub-50£ rooms was very difficult.

I think one of the reasons for the remarkable success in recreating the Camino Frances in the 1980s was that no one actually expected it to pay for itself. I walked my first Camino in 1990. At that time the "infrastructure" was very low-key, modest, highly varied in style, and almost entirely voluntary. Mostly donativo. Provided by a mixed bag of churches, monasteries, local councils, confraternities, Amigos groups and a few generous individuals. Occasionally just floor space for a roll mat and sleeping bag in an otherwise empty building. Numbers walking then were extremely small by today's standards and no-one made a living from the Camino. In fact supporting it was a financial drain on many groups who provided their services as a charitable act. It was only after pilgrim numbers reached a critical mass over a number of years that private commercial albergues and other pilgrim services would become viable. I do not believe that that there is a sufficiently altruistic momentum to create a similar dedicated low-cost pilgrim infrastructure in the UK or enough individuals or businesses willing to gamble on the future profitability of such a project. For that matter I am not entirely convinced that if Don Elias was starting from scratch today that he would receive the same generous disinterested support in Spain that he found in the 1980s. Times have changed and especially relationships between wider society and religion - both in the UK and in Spain.

 

[C clearly]

Perhaps we should encourage the BBC to do more of their Pilgrimage series in the British Isles!...

If there is a concerted effort then I'm sure it is doable...

And then maybe us here too, in an English-speaking forum, we should be promoting our own pilgrimages?

Why "should" we be doing this? What do you want to achieve?

 

[Ali@59]

Do these pilgrimages have inexpensive accomodations like the albergues in Spain?

No, they certainly do not, there will be hostels on some routes but you would have to use B+Bs or hotels which are not cheap or maybe even couch surfing could be a possibility and wild camping is okay in Scotland. I would like it if there was!

 

[Bradypus]

and wild camping is okay in Scotland.

One very important difference from the rest of the UK. Also quite legal and accepted in Sweden and Norway which goes a long way towards making the St Olav routes to Trondheim more affordable. If you think that UK prices are high then try Norway for a fortnight!

 

[Ali@59]

But do you have the infrastructure?

Probably not enough and it isn't great when the society's are trying to promote the pilgrimages you can learn more if you search for "The way of St Andrews"

But do you have the infrastructure?

 

[GailGwyn]

We have quite a few pilgrimages in Scotland.

• St Cuthbert’s Way - Melrose to Lindisfarne
• St Magnus Way - Orkney
• St Oswald’s Way - Northumberland
• Fife Pilgrim Way - Culross to St Andrews
• Whithorn Way - Glasgow to Whithorn
• Forth to Farne Way - North Berwick to Lindisfarne
• St Munn’s Way - Cowal Peninsula Argyll
• St Kentigern Way (aka St Mungo) - Solway Firth to Glasgow
• Northern Pilgrims Way - Tain to Kirkwall
• Three Saints Way - Killin to Saint Andrews
• Deeside Way - Aberdeen to Ballater
• Dalriada Way - Tarbert to Luing
• Iona to Killin - to eventually connect Iona to St Andrews

Also, the North Wales Pilgrimage, from Holywell to Bardsey Island.

 

[Bradypus]

Also, the North Wales Pilgrimage, from Holywell to Bardsey Island.

Been there, done that - though the other way around! The same infrastructure issues apply. In my case solved mostly by camping.

 

[Marc S.]

I do not believe that that there is a sufficiently altruistic momentum to create a similar dedicated low-cost pilgrim infrastructure in the UK or enough individuals or businesses willing to gamble on the future profitability of such a project. For that matter I am not entirely convinced that if Don Elias was starting from scratch today that he would receive the same generous disinterested support in Spain that he found in the 1980s

Good point! However it made me wonder.

It seems this thread is a bit pessimistic. I would argue that at least there is a growing interest in British pilgrimage routes. Don't know if and when more affordable accomodation will become available, but maybe we should not compare the UK with Spain. It is not likely that there will ever be something comparable to the Camino Frances in the UK (anyway, be careful what you might wish for) but I am thinking of developments in other countries

For example, the Jakibspaad, a pilgrim path in the northern part of the Netherlands was revalitized some 20 years ago, although there was no affordable accomodation for some years. However, since 2021 it is possible to sleep in some churches in small villages for 15 euro. Don't know how much of a role altruism plays in this. The churches are maintained by a foundation that wants to preserve the buildings during these times of secularization)

I also have to think about some German pilgrim paths like the Via Regia and Via Baltica, that have a good accomodation structure, that rather recently developed, and (as far as I know) is not a result of massive government spending.

I can see no reason for pessimism and why such developments could not take place in the UK.

 

[ukjohn99]

One word - accommodation. Thanks to that wonderful British invention, the Ordnance Survey map (and that other wonderful British invention - the Right of Way) it is possible to walk between any two points in the United Kingdom with only the slightest possibility of getting lost. However, should you be so eccentric as to want to stay the night somewhere in a bed with a roof over your head you will have to fork out that traditional sum known as 'a king's ransom'. We would love to walk any number of pilgrimage routes in the country I grew up in. But we are not obscenely rich. Establish a refuge/hostel/budget accommodation system, and you are in business, but I can't discuss the improbability of that without getting a lot more political than a moderator should.

Yes, that's even a problem with the Thames tow path. One guide suggested staying at the Great House in Sonning - cost = from £115 - £130 a night.

 

[Vacajoe]

I had some success with the Travelodge brand when I walked Reading to London on the Thames Path with some rooms under 50£ - not cheap, but better than the alternatives

 

[Former member 107885]

I had some success with the Travelodge brand when I walked Reading to London on the Thames Path with some rooms under 50£ - not cheap, but better than the alternatives

Yes Travelodge and Premier Inn are probably the best ‘go to’ budgetish beand for hotels in UK. Still a few decent rates around though definitely a lot scarcer. Doesn’t feel quite right but we have for the most part a pretty good rail system so you can maybe have a base and get train to your start point each day!

 

[Silencio Por Favor]

An interesting article but I think the author misses a major point. Britain is a country where religion is in decline (and has been for decades) and a Pilgrimage is thought of as religious undertaking. i think we are at the point that as many people attend Mosque each week as Church.
As an English pilgrim it is normal for me to be the only English person in the albergue. I realised this on my first pilgrimage when in Padron I raised a toast to the seven Germans I was dining with, thanking them for all speaking English. The same effect is happening in Ireland. My wife is from Dublin and her mother went on a number of pilgrimages organised by the local priest. On one memorable occasion returning from Lourdes with a walking stick having slipped on the steps at the shrine.
Her grandchildren are now starting families of their own and not one of them bothered to get marride before having a child.
The future of Pilgrimage in Britian is probably in the hands of the BBC who has just started their third series of Pilgrimage, this one covering the journey to Fatima.

Yes, as a kid in 70s Britain, Easter was chocolate eggs and no visit to that old building they call Church.

 

[henrythedog]

There have been a few "sanctuary church" or "champing" schemes created recently. When you look more closely many are almost as expensive as a budget B&B.

I’m in south Cumbria and my parish church - only a couple of hundred yards from my house is open 24/7 for ‘champing’ totally free of charge, predominantly at the behest of an excellent church warden for the benefit of those with no other option; but passers-by are welcome. Modest donations would be appreciated. There is a lavatory and a cold water tap and some sleeping mats - so it’s basically a big stone tent.

As it is a CofE parish with no places of worship for those of other faiths or denominations or none, the graveyard pretty much covers all the angles with no segregation. You’re buried in the order you meet your maker, no matter what name you call them by.

TBH, on the occasions that I attend church I go a mile further to the local priory where the architecture is more accomplished; but having reflected on it; I do wonder why.

 

[Tincatinker]

English ambulants of a certain age will recall the YHA hostels that provided basic dormitory accommodation, warm water (occasionally) and a fry-up breakfast of variable quality. The network crumbled and shrank as planning regulations, the safety Elfs, “customer” demand for hot water and a resistance to make any contribution other than your £6 a year became too much for many a warden and many a hut or ex-military shed.

The passion that created and ran that network dissipated. What is left provides frivolous accommodation for the adventurous middle classes and a few puzzled European youth.

I still live in hope (no not that little village in Derbyshire), real hope that we can create a network of sheds, huts, spare rooms, “casa de acogida”, that will open a pilgrim network in the UK but I don’t expect to see it. It took more than 40 years for the work of Don Elias to create the current Camino. I think he would face a greater challenge here

 

[Vacajoe]

Funny you should mention the YHA! There’s a great one still alive and nicely kept that I stayed at in London (Earls Ct) while completing my St James Camino from Southampton. 45£ a night for a top bunk in a room with 7 beds, though that price varies every night (20£-100£+!!!!) depending upon demand. Lovely lounge, free laundry, large outdoor terrace. It’s a great concept, but hardly affordable for an extended stay.

 

[Barbara]

Funny you should mention the YHA! There’s a great one still alive and nicely kept that I stayed at in London (Earls Ct) while completing my St James Camino from Southampton. 45£ a night for a top bunk in a room with 7 beds, though that price varies every night (20£-100£+!!!!) depending upon demand. Lovely lounge, free laundry, large outdoor terrace. It’s a great concept, but hardly affordable for an extended stay.

Well, you have nailed the problem. It applies to many large cities, and often the only way to get a half way reasonable price is to book a long time in advance. I'm shortly leaving to cycle from Shropshire to central France, using for a good part of the journey the Avenue Verte from London to Paris. Except that I will bypass London because all the Youth hostels (YHA and private) need advance booking and there isn't anything else I can afford. I can find plenty of dorms in Paris that I can book a couple of days in advance, and at a bearable price. For the rest, I camp.

 

[Nick Barlow]

I'm not religious, but I'm just about to set off on my second Camino, and I've talked to lots of people since I came back last year who'd love to be able to do one, or just a long walk, but the cost of doing one in the UK is prohibitive to most people - especially if you're travelling alone. I'd love to do the Coast to Coast, but there's only a handful of hostels along the route, and pre-booking other accommodation means it would likely cost me £1000+ before travel to and from there and food etc along the way. So instead I've got flights to Oviedo and back from Santiago for c£100 and I'll do the Primitivo for about half the cost - and meet a wider range of people while having time and space to think and reflect.

It's really not about religion - and I'd argue that the process of walking a pilgrimage route, or any long walk is a spiritual experience in itself, and the sort of thing that many people are craving as a gateway to explore that more deeply - it's about practicality. Unless you're willing to camp, there's nowhere in the UK I know of where you can just decide to go walk and then do it cheaply, which means you only get people with time and money doing them.

One of my "if I win the lottery" dreams is buying a bunch of old buildings along the Coast to Coast or another route to turn them into hostel/bunkhouse/albergue type place places just to make that possible, given that none of the levels of government in Britain seem interested in doing that in the way Spanish ones are.

 

[Bradypus]

One of my "if I win the lottery" dreams is buying a bunch of old buildings along the Coast to Coast or another route to turn them into hostel/bunkhouse/albergue type place places just to make that possible, given that none of the levels of government in Britain seem interested in doing that in the way Spanish ones are.

The massive turning point that boosted the growth of the Camino Frances was the 1993 Holy Year. Some bright sparks in the Galician provincial government saw the Camino's potential to raise the profile of the region and bring in tourists (both domestic and international). So there was a massive capital investment to build the first chain of purpose-built albergues. Up to that point accommodation was very small-scale and haphazard and provided by a mix of groups. The 1993 Holy Year was a massive success with 10x the numbers in 1992. From then on the development of the Caminos within Galicia has been much more of a government project than a voluntary or religious one. A difference that walkers today can see from O Cebreiro onwards. And the results of that initial investment have been huge. The Xunta intend to spend 141 million euros in preparation for the 2027 Holy Year.

 

[Nick Barlow]

English ambulants of a certain age will recall the YHA hostels that provided basic dormitory accommodation, warm water (occasionally) and a fry-up breakfast of variable quality. The network crumbled and shrank as planning regulations, the safety Elfs, “customer” demand for hot water and a resistance to make any contribution other than your £6 a year became too much for many a warden and many a hut or ex-military shed.

The passion that created and ran that network dissipated. What is left provides frivolous accommodation for the adventurous middle classes and a few puzzled European youth.

I still live in hope (no not that little village in Derbyshire), real hope that we can create a network of sheds, huts, spare rooms, “casa de acogida”, that will open a pilgrim network in the UK but I don’t expect to see it. It took more than 40 years for the work of Don Elias to create the current Camino. I think he would face a greater challenge here

I did John O'Groats to Land's End in 2006, and there was still a great network of hostels in Scotland then, but once I crossed the border it got harder and harder to find hostels as I got further south. This was also the year the YHA announced they were selling off a lot of the smaller rural ones which made it impossible to walk the Pennine Way staying at hostels.( I think the last one I stayed at on that walk was Hartington Hall in Staffordshire)

The problem for hostels, though, was that a lot of other cheaper accommodation has disappeared over the years as well, which means they often get block-booked for schools, Scout groups etc, so it's hard to know for a walker if they're going to be able to get a bed if they turn up. Then they came to rely on that income and there was a vicious circle of those that were too small or in the wrong place to be attractive to that kind of booking getting sold off to raise the funds to improve the ones they kept.

I think it could happen here, but it would take some sort of happy accident of someone stumbling on the right idea to get people interested and wanting to make it happen. The example I think of is Parkrun - if you'd have said twenty years ago that you could get 100,000+ people running 5K every week at 600+ events and having it all organised for free by volunteers, people would have thought you were mad, but it happens, and all because someone with a knee injury decided to organise a free race one Saturday for his friends.

 

[GraemeHall]

I see all my information in my avatar has disappeared, so it must be time for me to make another donation and reactivate it all. But that's another issue.
Many, many writers of posts in this thread stress that they are not religious and that for them the Camino is not a religious pilgrimage. I want to risk being on the outer (and perhaps even ironically breaking the rules) by reiterating that I am a person of faith, a Christian (though not Catholic), and for me the Camino (fourth one coming up later this month) is a deeply religious pilgrimage. Thank you.

 

[C clearly]

I see all my information in my avatar has disappeared, so it must be time for me to make another donation and reactivate it all.

I suspect that you are looking at the avatar that appears beside the blank "new post" box. It is always blank under the photo while you are composing your text. Once you have hit "Post reply", you will see the usual information under the avatar. Look at your post (above) now.

 

[Silencio Por Favor]

Besides cost a real negative is that there is no iconic destination, no disrespect to "Our Lady of Walsingham". There is no comparison to Santiago, Roma, Fatima, etc in the UK.

 

[Holly Mitchem]

Besides cost a real negative is that there is no iconic destination, no disrespect to "Our Lady of Walsingham". There is no comparison to Santiago, Roma, Fatima, etc in the UK.

I have visited Iona twice and also walked the Frances and part of the Norte so would beg to differ with this assessement. Although many of the people visiting Iona are tourists, many are Christian pilgrims who come for a variety of reasons. It really is a special place, on par IMHO but of course on a much smaller scale than Santiago. The key thing is although it is definitely a pilgrimage destination, with many sacred sites on the island itself, all walkable, there is no official walking path that I am aware of to get there, even to Fionnphort on Mull, where one takes the final 7" ferry . Both times I took a train from Glasgow to Oban, a ferry from Oban to Mull, a bus to Fionnphort on the west coast of Mull, and another ferry to land on Iona. We thought it would be amazing to walk across Mull to reach that final ferry to Iona. Maybe someone has done it?

 

[Silencio Por Favor]

I have visited Iona twice and also walked the Frances and part of the Norte so would beg to differ with this assessement. Although many of the people visiting Iona are tourists, many are Christian pilgrims who come for a variety of reasons. It really is a special place, on par IMHO but of course on a much smaller scale than Santiago. The key thing is although it is definitely a pilgrimage destination, with many sacred sites on the island itself, all walkable, there is no official walking path that I am aware of to get there, even to Fionnphort on Mull, where one takes the final 7" ferry . Both times I took a train from Glasgow to Oban, a ferry from Oban to Mull, a bus to Fionnphort on the west coast of Mull, and another ferry to land on Iona. We thought it would be amazing to walk across Mull to reach that final ferry to Iona. Maybe someone has done it?

Thanks for this reply, I was focusing on "scale", but in a way less visited pilgrimage destinations may feel less touristy

 

[Nick Barlow]

Besides cost a real negative is that there is no iconic destination, no disrespect to "Our Lady of Walsingham". There is no comparison to Santiago, Roma, Fatima, etc in the UK.

Canterbury?

 

[Kanga]

I see France as fairly similar to the UK in terms of cost for most things, yet France has a network of gites d'étape for walkers. Not only on the pilgrim routes, but along the GR trails. Similar to commercial albergues in Spain. Presumably they are a response to consumer demand and are commercially viable. It is surprising that there is nothing similar in the UK, considering the large numbers of walkers and walking groups. Perhaps because there are an infinite variety of walks in the UK, and they are so dispersed. Are there specific guide books/apps for long distance trails?

I also think about "couch surfing" and how that has taken off among the young. Combine that with a group interested in walking, and something might evolve.

 

[Vacajoe]

Canterbury, Winchester, St Paul’s, Westminster - all tourist draws, but if you are thinking simply on the religious tourist numbers they specifically draw then you are correct that they are not Lourdes, Fatima, SdC, etc.

But if you had a string of places that had a dozen beds each night, you’d only need a dozen pilgrims to “sell it out”! Of course, at 20£ a bed, that’s only 88,000£ annually before any expenses and only if you sold out every night. It’s why public albergues are generally not moneymakers and donativos and parochials mostly rely on volunteers. And even then, they still lose money because pilgrims fail to donate adequately.

 

[Bradypus]

Are there specific guide books/apps for long distance trails?

There are guide books for the long distance national trails. Though these are not pilgrimage routes in origin. The national trails do not generally have very much by way of low cost accommodation either. These are some hostels and bunkhouses on some routes but not enough to walk the routes with convenient daily stages.

 

[Silencio Por Favor]

Canterbury?

I wonder if Britain had the same religious vibe that Spain, Portugal and Italy have I think that there is a good chance Canterbury could be comparable, hypothetical I know.

 

[Vacajoe]

Britain did have that same religious vibe…until Henry VIII seized all the churches, closed the monasteries, started his own church, and so on. Now those ruins exist, the churches are open (some as CofE houses of worship but many converted into other uses), and the “pilgrims” come by bus for a tour, tea, and a photo before motoring onto the next tour stop. Catholic Mass exists here and there and Anglican services are very similar, but both are usually disturbed by folks wandering around on the periphery taking photos and “whispering” louder than the congregation’s muted singing. It’s hard to focus on prayer when you are in a fishbowl and watched like an animal in the zoo.

In Canterbury last month, both the rowboat tour guide and the desk attendant at the ancient pilgrim hospital (now an almshouse) were surprised that donativo albergues in the traditional pilgrim sense were still operating on holy routes in Spain.

So if you go, expect tours and expect crowds, but don’t be surprised if the fervor of a pilgrimage destination is hard to find at these spots.

 

[Barbara]

I have visited Iona twice and also walked the Frances and part of the Norte so would beg to differ with this assessement. Although many of the people visiting Iona are tourists, many are Christian pilgrims who come for a variety of reasons. It really is a special place, on par IMHO but of course on a much smaller scale than Santiago. The key thing is although it is definitely a pilgrimage destination, with many sacred sites on the island itself, all walkable, there is no official walking path that I am aware of to get there, even to Fionnphort on Mull, where one takes the final 7" ferry . Both times I took a train from Glasgow to Oban, a ferry from Oban to Mull, a bus to Fionnphort on the west coast of Mull, and another ferry to land on Iona. We thought it would be amazing to walk across Mull to reach that final ferry to Iona. Maybe someone has done it?

How about you? With a large scale map, or a suitable app on PC or phone, you could create a route and write a short guide. No need to put it on paper, a pdf file would be fine, and a .gpx for the route. No need for a mass of information, route and places to stay would be helpful to future pilgrims.

 

[Barbara]

Canterbury?

It's recent, as far as pilgrimages go. Though earlier than Lourdes, which is massively popular.

 

[Nick Barlow]

Britain did have that same religious vibe…until Henry VIII seized all the churches, closed the monasteries, started his own church, and so on. Now those ruins exist, the churches are open (some as CofE houses of worship but many converted into other uses), and the “pilgrims” come by bus for a tour, tea, and a photo before motoring onto the next tour stop. Catholic Mass exists here and there and Anglican services are very similar, but both are usually disturbed by folks wandering around on the periphery taking photos and “whispering” louder than the congregation’s muted singing. It’s hard to focus on prayer when you are in a fishbowl and watched like an animal in the zoo.

In Canterbury last month, both the rowboat tour guide and the desk attendant at the ancient pilgrim hospital (now an almshouse) were surprised that donativo albergues in the traditional pilgrim sense were still operating on holy routes in Spain.

So if you go, expect tours and expect crowds, but don’t be surprised if the fervor of a pilgrimage destination is hard to find at these spots.

I was being slightly facetious in mentioning Canterbury, but I think if there ever was to be a British equivalent of the Camino (at least in religious terms) it would be the logical end point, both in terms of significance as a destination and having the potential to deal with the logistics of large numbers of people passing through there. (Not to repeat earlier posts in too much detail, the problem is accommodation along the way there...)

I did have to visit there for a work thing in the late 90s, and there were signs up around the city for pilgrims, but those that go there tend to just travel normally and it's what happens while they're there that's most important, not the journey. (Though I'd be interested in seeing how many do make a special journey there on foot or otherwise and compare those numbers to arrivals in Santiago pre-1990)

And the idea of the pilgrimage to Canterbury is quite strong in English culture because of Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales, but it's normally always presented as something from the past, not a modern thing. I can remember studying Chaucer at my Catholic High School for A-Level English in 88-90, and while we discussed the idea of pilgrimage and how it related to the Tales, I don't recall anyone there discussing the idea of pilgrimage as something that happened now, and I had some pretty devout teachers.

 

[Corned Beef]

I've tried 3 pilgrim trails - Winchester/Canterbury; Canterbury/Winchester (stopped Guildford) and Southampton/Ramsgate (BPT's 'Old Way'). There were lots of people on the routes but none described themselves as pilgrims.

There is more likelihood of people going on religious retreats. There is a Christian centre close by and a Brudehof centre in the next village. Both are often busy.

 

[Kathor1]

And the idea of the pilgrimage to Canterbury is quite strong in English culture because of Chaucer and the Canterbury Tales, but it's normally always presented as something from the past, not a modern thing.

@Nick Barlow, you and also @Silencio Por Favor raise a point that I think may be a factor when it comes to the "British pilgrimage problem".

In the given context of the Camino phenomenon, pilgrimage on foot is regarded as secular, as something for people of all faiths and none, where the motto of the British Pilgrimage Trust that was founded a few years ago is "Bring your own Faith" and we here on the forum like to use the expression "spiritual but not religious".

But what is the status of pilgrimage in the public's mind as one's own's country's living tradition? I am an outside observer so I may be wrong and I am happy to be corrected but, looking at European countries comparable in population size to Britain, such as Germany, Italy, France and Spain (people from these countries constitute the overwhelming majority of Camino peregrinos/as), I see that Spain, Italy and many regions of Germany have uninterrupted traditions of going on foot to pilgrimage sites, whether on a single day or on multi-day pilgrimages, often in groups, and this is widely known to people, whether they are religious or not, and reported in the regional press year in year out. Does Britain have anything on a similar scale? How many Marian pilgrimage sites, small or big, are there in Britain, compared to these countries? Tiny chapels and old wayward shrines*) in the form of a cross similar to the ones we see in Galicia? Relics that are still kept in churches and shown, even venerated, instead of on display in museums, compared to these countries? Also seen in the Benelux countries, btw, although they are smaller in population size; for example who hasn't heard of the Echternacht sprangprozessioùn - the abbey of Echternach was a major Christian centre in the Middle Ages, the tradition was alive from at least 1500 until about 1750, then forbidden, then revived in early 1800 and going from strength to strength since then. A genuine pilgrimage in origin, the expression "Echternacher Springprozession" has become proverbial in German. Anything comparable in longevity in Britain?

As already mentioned, and at least for me as an outsider, pilgrimage in Britain means Chaucer and April showers but that is literature from long ago and not an uninterrupted centuries old and still living tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages or early Modern Time.

*) like the one in my profile photo. That's a good 2000 km away from Galicia. Take a look because I am about to replace it with a newer one from a more recent walk in the countryside.

 

[Kirkie]

An article on the website of The Critic commenting on the current resurgence of interest in pilgrimage and some of the obstacles to the development of Camino-style supported pilgrimage routes in the UK.

The British pilgrimage problem | James Jeffrey | The Critic Magazine

Does the UK have a pilgrimage problem? As with most things vaguely religious, we Brits are surprisingly clumsy and prone to get flustered. Hence we miss opportunities, both economic and spiritual.

thecritic.co.uk

A short article by Ellen Teague in the Easter edition of the Tablet signals a website (pilgrimways.org.uk) mapping 22 pilgrimages in England and Wales. The site provides walking guides, gpx files among other resources, including a downloadable pilgrim passport and a certificate for the end of the walk.

Edit:
I have just had time to scan the website. It is informative.
(In a much smaller voice, I typed "pilgrim paths Scotland" and of course, yes! We might have been fierce but there was still a space for sacred pilgrimage - but let me return to give place to the website I quoted above.)

 

[Nick Barlow]

But what is the status of pilgrimage in the public's mind as one's own's country's living tradition?

That's a really interesting question, and I suspect my answer here won't have the depth a response to it deserves - but I fly out to Oviedo tomorrow morning, so if I don't give a rough answer now, there won't be one at all.

There are some pilgrimages that still go on here - a friend of mine has done some of the stages to Walsingham with a group that travel there carrying a cross each Easter, and she's planning to do the full journey next year - but they are rare.

I'd be interested (if I ever find the time) to go delving back into the history of walking and rambling in this country, because I suspect (and this is me throwing out a rough theory here) that there's a very strong Northern and Nonconformist element in it. Those are the sort of people who may have been strongly religious (or not, like my grandfather) but would have rejected the idea of pilgrimage to a specific location as being too Catholic or even just too linked to the Church of England and the establishment. That then links in there being a quite strong working-class element to rambling as an organised pursuit (the key event in British walking over the past century is probably the Kinder Scout mass trespass) and it was the idea of creating leisure opportunities for the working class that led to the development of things like the Pennine Way. (And see earlier for our discussion on the problems that has had with keeping cheap accommodation open)

So while there is a strong and long-lasting tradition of long-distance walking here, it has usually been a secular pursuit, at least in terms of organisation, if not necessarily the experience one has while doing it.

 

[LavanyaLea]

Britain did have that same religious vibe…until Henry VIII seized all the churches, closed the monasteries, started his own church, and so on.

Yeap, this is the reason we have lost centuries of "pilgrimage culture" which now the British Pilgrimage Trust is trying to revive, as per the original article.

Does Britain have anything on a similar scale? How many Marian pilgrimage sites, small or big, are there in Britain, compared to these countries? Tiny chapels and old wayward shrines*) in the form of a cross similar to the ones we see in Galicia? Relics that are still kept in churches and shown, even venerated, instead of on display in museums, compared to these countries?

It seems to me that British saints and pilgrimage sites mostly dated back to medieval times, like 6th-9th centuries. Some of these sites are still in use, although most are now in ruins, thanks to Henry VIII which banned relics, pilgrimages, removing artworks, whitewashing stained glass windows, etc. There was history of pilgrims visiting these shrines, hoping for miracle cures. When visiting these sites, I get a little QR code to historypoints.org and when I scan it, I was surprised by the info I get, very interesting stories, traditions, etc. And now nobody knows, hardly anyone comes to visit!

A few examples:
St Cuthbert was a monk in Melrose and then bishop in Lindisfarne/Holy Island, in 7th century. When he died, he was buried in Lindisfarne. When the Vikings came to invade, his followers wanted to remove his body for safekeeping, and was surprised to find that 11 years after his death, his body was still well preserved. This started the cult around Cuthbert and miracles were attributed to him.

St Beuno in Wales, again was another monk with a large following in Wales, setting up churches. Some of his miracles were related to women getting beheaded by their rejected lovers and he reattached them - believe what you want. Then pilgrims started to come to wells attributed to him, they would bathe and then spend the night lying on top of his tomb in Clynnog Fawr and the next morning cured of their illnesses.

St Winefride was St Beuno's niece and she was one of the women decapitated and then had her head put back together by her uncle in the 7th century - the site where this happened became a holy well, the town is called Holywell, and St Winefride's Shrine is still open, it's nicknamed the Welsh Lourdes, but I wonder how many people outside of North Wales know about this. I have come 3-4 times and each time would only see 1-2 other small groups at the shrine.

St Winefride Pilgrim Trail then followed from where her remains were buried in Shrewsbury Cathedral to Holywell. She actually died in an abbey in Gwytherin, but her remains moved to Shrewsbury to promote people to go there (this was back in the times when saints' relics were sought after).

Talking about relics, St Sannan was another saint to which there is a village and church named after - Llansannan. Originally from Ireland, he was buried in Gwytherin, but the Irish nuns claimed that he had promised them his body for burial, which would protect them and entitle them to his land. So the saint's disciples compromised by cutting off one of his thumbs and gave it to the nuns - this info I read from a poster about St Sannan inside the church in Llansannan on my Welsh Camino.

Some tiny old churches still in use:
Llangelynin Old Church, in a remote hill, to access you have to walk about 1.5 hours from the nearest village. Locals still use them for baptism, I found a gravestone from 21st century, and a priest was recently ordained there.

St Beuno's in Pistyll, much smaller than St Beuno's Church in nearby Clynnog Fawr, apparently this was where St Beuno went to hide for a quiet reflection. Church still holds monthly service, the floor is covered in rushes like old days.

On the issue of accommodation cost on some of British pilgrimage routes:
I'm just planning mine now - for a 4-day St Cuthbert's Way, camping the first 3 days and then staying in a pub inn on the 4th day - final day! I'll be looking forward to that warm comfy bed and fluffy towel. There is temptation to wildcamp when in Scotland, and with backup campsite for hot shower and hot meal at nearby pub, esp when they're playing folk music. The campsites charge me £10 each. There are 2 hostels, 1 dog friendly, but full for the weekend, and I was enquiring about Thursday. The hostels would've been similar to what private albergues charge around £18. The splurge final night is *cough* £160 but that's shared between 2 and my friend who did the last 2 days of Camino Frances with me is joining me as well for walking the pilgrim's causeway to Lindisfarne. Now let's hope for some Spanish weather and not Scottish weather for those 3 nights camping!!

For hostels to survive, I think they have to market themselves to groups - school trips (scouts and Duke of Edinburgh), bike touring groups, etc. which book the whole hostel. They need regular clients and the ones at the confluence of multiple trails flourish (e.g. St Cuthbert's and Penine Way). Campsites seem more flexible with drop-in walkers, although I have pre-booked anyway, don't fancy any surprises.

I wouldn't rule out church camping - on the Welsh Camino, nearly every stage begins and ends at a parish church, and usually passes another one at midday too. A lot of them were open and some already have a little kitchen for tea/coffee with a donation jar. When a church is closed, I could ring the number on the board - either a caretaker or the parish priest himself, and sometimes they would open the church for me. I have asked them if I could leave my car for a few days. So, it won't be such a stretch I think, if I asked if I could sleep inside the church? These routes usually have an association which maintain the waymarkings and liaise with local establishments, so perhaps this is something that can be suggested.

 

[Kathor1]

camping the first 3 days and then staying in a pub inn on the 4th day

Yes, carrying a tent and camping - wild or at campsites - is an option and people do this as they have always done. But when asking why the Caminos are so popular and the long distance trails in Britain are not on the same level of success even when one can fashion them into a pilgrimage trail … the answer is that camping does not have the broad appeal that staying in albergues has, in addition to the knowledge that there is always likely to be an albergue whereever one wants to stop and it is cheap to spend the night there - whether donativo, municipial, parochial or privately run.

 

[Kathor1]

That then links in there being a quite strong working-class element to rambling as an organised pursuit (the key event in British walking over the past century is probably the Kinder Scout mass trespass) and it was the idea of creating leisure opportunities for the working class that led to the development of things like the Pennine Way.

Good points - the right of way issues in the UK or is it only in England? And also the status of “rambling”. Just my gut feeling but I think it is not, or at least was not, the same as “Wandern” in Germany and Austria and “Randonner” in France where these activities have become broadly accepted and even trendy leisure sports activities - and for many decades already. I still remember the reactions of my future English in-laws (who were not “snobs” in any way): rambling, so my impression at the time, was not something that one does ….

I'd be interested (if I ever find the time) to go delving back into the history of walking and rambling in this country

I do hope you find the time and maybe even share some of this history here but more important right now: Buen Camino!

 

[Bradypus]

Good points - the right of way issues in the UK or is it only in England? And also the status of “rambling”.

The right of way business is very different in Scotland from the rest of the UK. In Scotland there is a default right of access to most unenclosed land provided one follows the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. That includes a right to camp overnight in many places. Very unlike England and Wales where you can only assume that access is allowed on specific rights of way and camping overnight is not permitted.

What is the Scottish Outdoor Access Code?

In Scotland, you can go on to most land to enjoy the outdoors – as long as you behave responsibly. This is known as Scottish access rights

www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot

 

[Kathor1]

Apart from the weather, the high cost of accommodation, the lack of an uninterrupted pilgrimage tradition that is still alive and with which large parts of the population are familiar even when they don’t practice it, and comparing the situations in Britain and in Spain there are other points that strike me when looking at the most recent Camino history and how Camino walking got so popular: volunteer organisations and taxpayer money.

There are numerous Friends of the Camino associations in Spain, in France, in Germany, on the national and regional level, who are either active for their local Jakobswege, chemins de Compostelle and caminos de Santiago or for the Camino Francés in Spain, or for both - and for many decades already. Correct me if I am wrong but there has never been the same level of interest in Britain. There is the CSJ in London - but elsewhere?

We frequently hear about Don Elias and the yellow arrows. We rarely hear about Andres Muñoz who was the founder and president of the Navarra Camino association and instrumental in fostering the Camino revival in so many ways - he died in 1992. Or Javier Navarro from Roncesvalles. There was a ground swell of interest in the history and revival of the Camino de Santiago in the 1980s and 1990s that drove development that was and is not present in the same way elsewhere for other old pilgrimage ways (https://www.12congresojacobeo.com/en-gb/década-1980-1989)

Manuel Fraga. Another name that is barely mentioned. Where would the Camino de Santiago and all its offshoots be without him? Born in Galicia, Spanish Minister of Tourism between 1962 and 1969 and President of the Regional Government of Galicia between 1990 and 2005. Instrumental in promoting the Camino since the 1960s and in particular during the pivotal Holy Year 1993, both nationally and internationally. Anyone comparable in the UK and, and if so, for which region and erstwhile medieval pilgrimage of international renown?

Taxpayer money. From the moment that Spain joined the European Union in 1986 and until the accession of ten mostly East European countries in 2004, Galicia was one of the poorest regions in the EU and significantly benefited from development funds and this included Camino infrastructure and Camino promotion when it promised to foster job creation and prosperity for the region. Richer regions like much of England would not qualify. So Galicia had for example the idea of creating a network of some 70 public albergues that were free - yes, free and not donativo - from 1993 until 2008 (https://www.gronze.com/noticias/albergues-galicia-dejan-ser-gratuitos-324). Or a young US journalist (and presumably not just her) was invited by Tourist Office of Spain to write about "a new adventure tourism destination in northern Spain, the Camino de Santiago." They offered a week of expenses-paid, four-star travel from Roncesvalles to Compostela. She later moved to Spain and became a mover and shaker in support of the Camino.

Btw, a few days ago someone asked about the opening hours of an albergue in Bruma on the Camino Inglés. I had a look at their website and scrolled down to the bottom where I spotted the EU logo. It is not there because they want to confess their love for the European idea. It is there due to the fact that they have to put it there because they got financial support from the FEDER program Galicia 2014-2020.

The national and global success of the Camino de Santiago is due to many factors and I doubt that it can be replicated elsewhere.

 

[Bradypus]

and a young US journalist (and presumably not just her) was invited by Tourist Office of Spain to write about "a new adventure tourism destination in northern Spain, the Camino de Santiago." They offered a week of expenses-paid, four-star travel from Roncesvalles to Compostela. She later moved to Spain and became a mover and shaker in all things Camino.

A journalist friend of mine was invited on a similar organised visit to Norway quite recently aimed at promoting the St Olav ways.

 

[David with new Kit!]

We finished a two day section of St Wulfstans Way (Malvern - Worcester - Pershore - Evesham) on Tue/Wed of this week and accommodation in Pershore was £112 ex breakfast. We only knew we were on St Wulfstans Way thanks to our GPS tracks.

We will of course continue with short pilgrimages in the UK, but my next Camino (the Inglés) is already booked for September.

 

[Mary Doll]

There’s also the Whithorn Way in Scotland starting from Glasgow Cathedral and ending at St Ninian’s Cave in Isle of Whithorn. I haven’t walked this but have been to the cave on a couple of occasions when I’ve been camping nearby. Again it’s the lack of affordable accommodation that would put me off.

 

[Holly Mitchem]

How about you? With a large scale map, or a suitable app on PC or phone, you could create a route and write a short guide. No need to put it on paper, a pdf file would be fine, and a .gpx for the route. No need for a mass of information, route and places to stay would be helpful to future pilgrims.

Good idea! I just need to be retired. Ha!

 

[Tincatinker]

Apart from the weather, the high cost of accommodation, the lack of an uninterrupted pilgrimage tradition that is still alive and with which large parts of the population are familiar even when they don’t practice it

@Kathar1na Thank you for being a contributing member of this forum.

 

[Mycroft]

One word - accommodation. Thanks to that wonderful British invention, the Ordnance Survey map (and that other wonderful British invention - the Right of Way) it is possible to walk between any two points in the United Kingdom with only the slightest possibility of getting lost. However, should you be so eccentric as to want to stay the night somewhere in a bed with a roof over your head you will have to fork out that traditional sum known as 'a king's ransom'. We would love to walk any number of pilgrimage routes in the country I grew up in. But we are not obscenely rich. Establish a refuge/hostel/budget accommodation system, and you are in business, but I can't discuss the improbability of that without getting a lot more political than a moderator should.

You've hit the nail on the head, dick bird. I have to travel from the US and doing the-tent-and-sleeping-bag-and-pad-and-heaven-forbid-a-camp-stove thing is impossible for me, who only takes my small backpack as carry-on.

 

[LouisW]

An interesting thread.

I think it boils down to weather and economics as to why long-distance pilgrimage routes are unlikely (although not impossible) in the UK. Perhaps shorter routes, such as to Canterbury could be developed and promoted.

There are still many popular long-distance walking/cycling routes, as other posters in this thread have highlighted, such as the Coast-to-Coast, Land’s End to John O’ Groats and the Penine Way, among others.

I don't think that there is the same problem with isolated rural locations becoming ghost towns with mass exodus to cities, such as in other European countries, that could be rejuvenated with pilgrimage/religous routes. Improving local services such as public transport would likely be better value for money.

The UK is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Whilst absolute tourist numbers to France and Spain may be higher for example, probably more pounds, euros, dollars, RMB etc are spent per visit in the UK visiting more expensive hotspots, such as London.

Anecdotally, most national parks and tourist destinations, across the country from the cities and national parks in Scotland, down to the Lake District in the north of England, Snowdonia in Wales, and Cornwall in the south seem to be fully heaving on the first sign of sunshine at the weekend. With both local and international tourists.

The UK is a fabulous place to take a weekend away or visit the myriad historical attractions, but the style of Camino as in the Iberian Peninsula probably does not stack up.

Even if a host wanted to establish a hostel or ‘albergue’ in this country, it would probably be rejected for planning permission. It is an ongoing problem when there are chronic housing shortages caused by NIMBY ‘not in my back yard’ sentiment.

A B&B, hotel or Airbnb would be more viable as a business that doesn't go under within a couple of years or less. Although many still do - it's a risky undertaking.

On a personal level, I have walked three Caminos in Spain and Portugal with my partner, and we thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine, beautiful scenery, cuisine, and friendships with fellow travellers from across the world on the way.

Looking forward to the next adventure when we can get the time to go away again – perhaps the Primitivo, Del Norte or even to Fatima!

 

[Former member 107885]

An interesting thread.

I think it boils down to weather and economics as to why long-distance pilgrimage routes are unlikely (although not impossible) in the UK. Perhaps shorter routes, such as to Canterbury could be developed and promoted.

There are still many popular long-distance walking/cycling routes, as other posters in this thread have highlighted, such as the Coast-to-Coast, Land’s End to John O’ Groats and the Penine Way, among others.

I don't think that there is the same problem with isolated rural locations becoming ghost towns with mass exodus to cities, such as in other European countries, that could be rejuvenated with pilgrimage/religous routes. Improving local services such as public transport would likely be better value for money.

The UK is one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. Whilst absolute tourist numbers to France and Spain may be higher for example, probably more pounds, euros, dollars, RMB etc are spent per visit in the UK visiting more expensive hotspots, such as London.

Anecdotally, most national parks and tourist destinations, across the country from the cities and national parks in Scotland, down to the Lake District in the north of England, Snowdonia in Wales, and Cornwall in the south seem to be fully heaving on the first sign of sunshine at the weekend. With both local and international tourists.

The UK is a fabulous place to take a weekend away or visit the myriad historical attractions, but the style of Camino as in the Iberian Peninsula probably does not stack up.

Even if a host wanted to establish a hostel or ‘albergue’ in this country, it would probably be rejected for planning permission. It is an ongoing problem when there are chronic housing shortages caused by NIMBY ‘not in my back yard’ sentiment.

A B&B, hotel or Airbnb would be more viable as a business that doesn't go under within a couple of years or less. Although many still do - it's a risky undertaking.

On a personal level, I have walked three Caminos in Spain and Portugal with my partner, and we thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine, beautiful scenery, cuisine, and friendships with fellow travellers from across the world on the way.

Looking forward to the next adventure when we can get the time to go away again – perhaps the Primitivo, Del Norte or even to Fatima!

Yea I agree totally will all that ! Especially RMB spend in London!

 

[David61]

We have quite a few pilgrimages in Scotland.

• St Cuthbert’s Way - Melrose to Lindisfarne
• St Magnus Way - Orkney
• St Oswald’s Way - Northumberland
• Fife Pilgrim Way - Culross to St Andrews
• Whithorn Way - Glasgow to Whithorn
• Forth to Farne Way - North Berwick to Lindisfarne
• St Munn’s Way - Cowal Peninsula Argyll
• St Kentigern Way (aka St Mungo) - Solway Firth to Glasgow
• Northern Pilgrims Way - Tain to Kirkwall
• Three Saints Way - Killin to Saint Andrews
• Deeside Way - Aberdeen to Ballater
• Dalriada Way - Tarbert to Luing
• Iona to Killin - to eventually connect Iona to St Andrews

Steady there! You may WANT Northumberland but it is not yours-yet!

 

[onwayhome]

Well the "path is made by walking" (Machado). Hopefully the revived interest in UK pilgrimage will result in better infrastructure over time.
Meanwhile I've managed a couple of Rochester to Canterbury pilgrimages by setting up in a central campsite. Most sections can then be reached using a car and the excellent train network. Not ideal, but to my mind neither is a sequence of expensive B&B's - and I'm definitely not tent backpacking any more!

 

[chinacat]

and even trendy leisure sports activities - and for many decades already. I still remember the reactions of my future English in-laws (who were not “snobs” in any way): rambling, so my impression at the time, was not something that one does ….

Judging by the widespread popularity of ‘The North Face’ items of clothing (still, after all these years ) , the aspiration of many people to be seen as ‘outdoor types’, even if the down jacket and/or waterproof only gets them as far as the pub, would seem to contradict your statement.

Outdoor activities have a very long-standing tradition, right across the social classes, in the UK. You have only to look at the large number of manufacturers and vendors of outdoor clothing and equipment that are starting up and thriving here.
Hillwalking and backpacking on our long distance paths are also becoming more inclusive, with recent efforts with regards to ‘diversity’ and enabling more inner city dwellers to get out into the hills/countryside.

As for packing and carrying overnight camping equipment (or ‘tentage’ ), the discipline of doing a Mountain Marathon, for instance the Lakeland one, would soon focus the mind on achieving a lightweight backpacking load. There are rules that ensure every participant carries everything necessary for a safe walk/run and overnight camp - there are many mandatory items. Despite this, I carried a lighter, smaller pack than I did for the Camino, and my camino one wasn’t heavy. Admittedly, the tent and cooking gear was shared with my walking partner. There are now far lighter alternatives available.

I mourn the loss of so many of our Youth Hostels, but we still have the occasional bothy, many kept open by volunteers (bless them! ).

As for city centre Youth Hostels, Earl’s Court is an expensive area and there are probably enormous overheads for those who run/own it. But I’m not aware of any potential pilgrim paths which run through it.
The Thames Path runs through some of the most expensive real estate in the country.

What might make more sense is a network of those able and willing to offer a pilgrim a bed for the night, possibly arranged through word-of-mouth recommendation/referral.
Or - and I have no personal experience of this - Airbnb? (I couldn’t even remember what it was called for a minute there!)

So, we have the walking tradition and we have the paths, and, at the moment () the bus services and the train network. We could have overnight hospitality.
We could also carry lightweight camping gear.

@LavanyaLea managed it on her North Wales Camino, with her dog too, so it is possible. (I enjoyed reading your blog, thanks! )

@Harington - how many days did you spend on your walk?
I’m not sure I could get to and from Spain, and walk for 100k, for £400 …
But I’m just a slow walker now …

 

[JZA]

There have been a number of tv, radio and newspaper pieces this week in the UK about pilgrimage - mostly tied-in with the new BBC series. Something that seems common to most that I've read/heard/seen lately is that increasingly people are approaching pilgrimage as a non-religious experience. Aware of its cultural and religious origins of course but feeling no need to identify with that personally. Of course that takes us straight back to the old chestnuts of what is a pilgrim? and what is pilgrimage? and I really do not want to go down that particular rabbit hole yet again!


The current series is the fifth one.
The series has certainly prompted a spate of comment in the past few days and no doubt will keep it up for a couple more weeks. But the growth in interest in pilgrimage here in the UK goes back long before the BBC started sending celebrities off to foreign parts and has deeper roots to sustain it. The revival of the Caminos has been a driver for massive investment and participation in pilgrimage routes all over Europe and beyond.

I am currently on the Camino Portuguese and would update my earlier comments with some feedback from a very non scientific survey.
1. Numbers are up generally.
2. I have met more English people than ever before. But no Scots.
3. No English speaking person I have spoken to is here for religious reasons. The most popular reason seems to be that they wanted to take a break (40th birthday, changing jobs, etc.) and this was a good option.
4. English and Irish people mention lower cost, better weather and easy access as reasons for picking a Camino.

Before my first Camino in 2017 when people asked me what plans I had for a holiday and I said I was planning to do a pilgrimage to SdC they all said something like. Oh, I didn’t know you were religious. I doubt the response would be quite the same now.

 

[JZA]

My last comment on this subject. One big difference between the Catholic tradition and the English is icons and relics. Appearances of the BVM are the destination of pilgrimage for example, the English just don’t have that heritage or mindset so we lack the focus on specific destinations. A generalisation I realise but I think it is part of it.

 

[Pete Dunn]

Besides cost a real negative is that there is no iconic destination, no disrespect to "Our Lady of Walsingham". There is no comparison to Santiago, Roma, Fatima, etc in the UK.

That is true to a degree... however, looking at this sign announcing the start of the St James Way from Reading to Southampton... I'd say the destination is quite iconic! There are 420 waymarkers along the route that say the same thing.

 

[Silencio Por Favor]

That is true to a degree... however, looking at this sign announcing the start of the St James Way from Reading to Southampton... I'd say the destination is quite iconic! There are 420 waymarkers along the route that say the same thing. View attachment 145597

Nice to see, to be honest I have not lived in the UK for almost 20 years so it is good to read positive albeit minor news from the homeland. Thanks

 

[BarbaraW]

What an interesting thread.
According to the village website the shrines at Walsingham receive about 250,000 visitors a year. But I think few of those are on walking pilgrimages, and the shrine was defunct until revived by the parish priest in the 1930s. My local Anglican church in London organised a youth pilgrimage there in 1963. We went in a minibus and adolescent hormones and exotic (to us middle church Anglicans) religious practices made for a heady mix.
Many of the Roman Catholic shrines in the UK are quite active, again not walking pilgrimages. A priest at St Winifredes told me that pilgrimage had been boosted significantly by the Philipino and South Indian Christian communities.

 

[EricJR]

Really fascinating thread! I think climate and rural economics are two insurmountable problems for UK pilgrimage routes. In Spain, there is a long high-season, perhaps from April to October at least, in which pilgrims can expect plenty of dry days, and nights that are comfortable in unheated rooms. A long pilgrim / tourist season, with the possibility of year-round business for those owners that want it, must make it far more appealing for people to open up an albergue or pension at inexpensive prices. And I was astonished by the quality and frequency of fully-refurbished old buildings on the CF where people have done just that.

I doubt England has cheap old buildings available for refurbishment - especially in beautiful countryside on the approach to Canterbury. Even if it did, I suspect local NIMBYs would be utterly horrified at the prospect of cheap accommodation being opened: either it might bring in school children or poor people, who would disturb the peace and suppress the growth of house prices; or, nearly as bad, if it attracts well-heeled, retired pilgrims then they might drive up the already-extortionate prices at the village gastropub ("£9.50 for a glass of house red, plus 15% service charge? Mmm, how reasonable!"), or make it harder to secure a table at any of the local 3-star Michelin nosheries! In comparison, locals in Spain seemed genuinely friendly, and quite keen for their neighbours to open places catering to pilgrims.

 

[B1nky]

An interesting article and thread.

I agree with others that accommodation is an issue, even with parts of some national trails in the UK the only options can be expensive, some distance away from the trail or both. There aren't as many youth hostels as there were and it's often hard to get a spot without booking way in advance due to them being block booked by school/youth groups (in my experience), the YHA are also considering selling off even more of their properties so I fear there may be even fewer in the future.

Bothies such as those maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association are an option in more remote and mountainous areas but unattended buildings left open for hikers tend not to last long in areas closer to civilisation due to abuse. Perhaps a compromise of simple shelters which are locked and can be booked or used by appointment could be an option for pilgrim accommodation.

Walking and the outdoors seems to be pretty popular in the UK at the moment , with things such as The 3 Peaks, The West Highland Way etc and various "must do" locations seeing a lot of visitors and getting a fair amount of media coverage. Hypothetically I wonder if some of our pilgrimages were called something like "The **** Challenge" and appeared in the right magazines and social media pages they'd get a lot more interest?

 

[Simperegrina]

Sorry, but bit late to this thread, but as an example of expensive accommodation…

As soon as my plaster cast is off my wrist, I’m planning a couple of test runs in the form of walking the Pilgrims Way from Rochester to Canterbury Cathedral. Looking at accommodation options and seeing circa £90-100 per night…thank you but no, I’ll be doing trains between home in London and stage starts/ends.

But only doable because I’m not far from home.

 

[Simperegrina]

Btw a further point on the YHA. As a member, it hacks me off how many hostels are only available in the winter for entire hostel bookings…