Tag: walking

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Community Outcomes Pilgrimage

Pilgrim Product Development

PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrim Product Development

As part of Ancient Connection’s business support strand, we worked with a number of businesses in Pembrokeshire to develop new bespoke tourism products that linked in with the new pilgrimage route. Five businesses were supported to develop and test the following products:

Pilgrim Tokens

St Davids Cathedral designed and produced beautiful pilgrim tokens, pendants and pilgrim bags with the with the bee of St Aidan and the dove of St David forming the basis of their design. These are now for sale in St Davids Cathedral shop and the Ferns Medieval Experience.

 Click here to visit the St Davids Catherdral Online Shop.

Art Photography Book

Karel Jasper’s art photography book documenting her Creative Camino 2022 experience is now printed and distributed to local gift and bookshops in North Pembrokeshire.

To buy a copy of the book, Click here to visit Karel’s website.

Pilgrim Merchandise

Ditsy Puffin Designs have created a catalogue of pilgrim merchandise for a more budget market (e.g. mugs, pin badges, water bottles etc.) for sale in various outlets in Pembrokeshire and Wexford as well as online.

These are now on sale. Click here to visit Ditsy Puffins website.

International Walking Tour Product

Waterford Camino Tours have now developed a new guided pilgrimage product ‘St Davids Way’, along the Pembrokeshire section of the route, marketed to Irish and North American tourists.

Click here to see Waterford Camino Tour’s offering.

Pilgrimage On Wheels

North Pembrokeshire Trade and Tourism have developed a mini-bus pilgrimage aimed at cruise ship visitors and those who, for whatever reason are unable to access the new pilgrimage route on foot. It starts in Goodwick and ends at St Davids and visits many of the important spots along the pilgrimage route in between.

The product is now publically available and bookable on their website. Click here to view.

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Community Outcomes Pilgrimage

Wexford Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way

PILGRIMAGE

Wexford Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way

The new pilgrim Route between Ferns in County Wexford and St Davids in Pembrokeshire is a major legacy of the Ancient Connections project. 

Click here for more information on the route, guided pilgrimages, accommodation, transport and pilgrim passports.  

In addition an Outdoor Active app was developed that includes an interactive digital map which runs using GPS technology, route content, turn-by-turn guide, and audio interpretation guide produced for 18 locations.

Click here to view the route on the Outdoor Active App

Pilgrim image Abercastle
Cnoc na dTobar Pilgrim path lower res
pilgrims landscape
Pilgrims to St Nons Credit - Ruth Jones
pilgrims
stick landscape pilgrimage
BPT Over Kittuck Barrows
in-the-preselis-opt
Sr Declan's Way
Screenshot 2020-02-07 19.58.35
Screenshot 2020-02-07 19.58.35
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Archive Pilgrimage

The Pilgrims from the Sea Pilgrimage

PILGRIMAGE

The Pilgrims from the Sea Route

The Pilgrims from the Sea route connects early Christian coastal settlements and religious sites from Pontfaen to Llanrhian, taking in significant places of interest along the way, such as the holy well at Llanllawer, which is enclosed in a vaulted chamber, and the Church of St Gwyndaf at Llanwnda, the site of the last invasion of Britain.

Full Pilgrimage PDF
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Archive Pilgrimage

The Bishops Road Pilgrimage

PILGRIMAGE

The Bishops Road Route

The route from Llawhaden to St Davids is an ancient highway. It follows the Landsker: the
divide between Cymro-Norman and Welsh Pembrokeshire. Roman work to improve the route west of Carmarthen has been traced as far as Wiston. During the Middle Ages, pilgrims would have followed this ancient way as they journeyed to the shrine at St Davids Cathedral, guided by ancient waymarkers and resting at hospices along the way.

Full Bishops Road PDF
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Archive Pilgrimage Reports

Cross Border Pilgrimage

PILGRIMAGE

Cross Border Pilgrimage

Download Feasibility Study

The purpose of this feasibility study was to investigate whether a modern cross-border pilgrimage tourism product and route could be sustainably developed between the town of Ferns in County Wexford, Ireland and the city of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales, using the Stena Ferry which crosses the Irish Sea from Rosslare in Ireland to Fishguard in Wales as the link.

In order to inform this work, over 60 key stakeholders, evenly spread between the two territories were contacted, with follow up video conference calls. Stakeholder contacts were generated by the project officers in each territory. Questionnaires were sent to all, with 30 being returned completed.

We then combined our previous consultancy experience and lessons learnt from recent work on walking and cycling trails, the Wales Coast Path and the National Trails of Wales with the feedback from stakeholders to undertake an options appraisal based on what we learned.

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Archive Arts Pilgrimage

Creative Camino

Arts Project

Creative Camino

Ancient Connections is undertaking an experimental and creative pilgrimage from Ferns to St Davids in May 2022 – the Creative Camino. Four artists, four community members, a travel writer and a filmmaker will make the eight day journey on foot from Ferns to St Davids starting on 1st May and ending on 8th May. A documentary film will tell the story of their journey and encourage others to follow in their footsteps.

The artists are: Bonnie Boux, Kate Powell, Suzi MacGregor and Ailsa Richardson

The project is teaming up with Journeying, a Celtic focused walking and pilgrimage guide company based in Pembrokeshire who are working closely with The British Pilgrimage Trust on the development of the new pilgrim route from Ferns to St Davids, which will be the main legacy of the Ancient Connections project and will be launched officially in 2023.

2023 marks the 900th anniversary of the granting of a privilege to St Davids by Pope Callixtus II, who declared that two pilgrimages to St Davids Cathedral were equal to one journey to Rome. It seems a fitting year to launch the new route! 

The route will encourage stronger links between these two Celtic regions, as well as attract overseas visitors in a sustainable form of cross-border tourism. 

 The British Pilgrimage Trust have created a mailing list for those interested in keeping up to date about the developments of this new route. Click on the button below to join.

Join BPT mailing list

The Journey

The pilgrimage sets off with  community celebrations and a world premiere performance of a traditional Celtic music piece (composed especially for the event). A fitting festive send-off for a group of pilgrims. Pilgrims will then make their way to Rosslare via Oulart, Olygate and Our Lady’s Island where they will take a ferry to Fishguard. Finally, they will walk the Pembrokeshire coast path along with some inland pathways.  They will reach their destination, the small city of St Davids, on Sunday 8th May where they will be given a glorious Pembrokeshire welcome. The pilgrims will be joined by a giant St David puppet who will lead the travellers into the grounds of St Davids Cathedral with a special choir procession. A spectacle to behold! The event is led by Small World Theatre . The artists will present an improvised performance to share the story of their journey and experiences along the way.

Media and Documentary

Throughout the journey, the experiences of the pilgrims as well as the beautiful scenery, heritage sites and wildlife will be documented by Llif:Flow a digital media company based in Angelsey. The stills and footage will be used to promote the project and new pilgrimage route concept across social media platforms and a short documentary film has been commissioned as promotion and legacy.

Follow the story!

Follow the pilgrims journey on our Instagram page which will be updated daily

Ancient Connections Instagram

Date: May 2022

Funded by: Ancient Connections

In Partnership with: Journeying 

Project Outputs: 
Artist performances 
A Documentary film
Short media content for social media and still photos

Learn More at: www.journeying.co.uk