The North Wales Pilgrims Way is an ancient route from Holywell to Bardsey Island. 130 miles of beautiful nature, mysterious stones and rushing waters - the deep beauty of North Wales unfolds beneath your feet...
A pilgrimage is a part of almost every Catholic's bucket list. Here are the 12 best Catholic pilgrimages in Europe for all pilgrims and spiritual travelers.
St Cuthbert's Way, one of the most beautiful, varied and enjoyable long distance walking routes in Britain, and one of Scotland's Great Trails.
Cumbrian Cistercian Way – 25 miles – 2-3 days – Piel Castle to Cartmel Priory (or Grange-over-Sands). A pilgrimage through the calming landscape of South Cumbria, in the footsteps of the Cistercian monks. Start your journey by boarding the tiny ferry to Piel Island, whose castle was built in this remote place to store and protect […]
The Forth to Farne Way – 72 miles – 7 days – North Berwick to Lindisfarne. The Forth to Farne Way embodies the historic relationship between the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, the County Palatine of Durham and the Bishopric of St Andrews. Medieval pilgrims walked the coastal route between these great centres of pilgrimage and […]
European pilgrimages offer the chance to embark on centuries-old journeys to the holiest places in Europe. Here we introduce the best pilgrimages in Europe.
A 43 mile pilgrimage from Hinderwell to Whitby, encountering 8 churches and chapels dedicated to St Hilda.
You may walk everyday in urban environments or in the countryside, but wherever you are there are simple, effective ways to turn your walk into a pilgrimage. Margery Kempe, the famous medieval female pilgrim, believed strongly in the power of micro-pilgrimages of a couple of miles or less – still today there is no minimum […]
Peak District Old Stones Way – 38 Miles – 3-4 days – Carl Wark to Minninglow Hill. High on the Pennine moorlands south west of Sheffield, the rock fortress of Carl Wark stands proud, near Higger Tor, where you can see the destination of Minninglow hill, 25 miles south, resting place of prehistoric chieftains in their […]
Alys Tomlinson's photographic journey to Catholic pilgrimage sites across Europe.
So, at the end of part I we were perched at the end of Mickledore looking for a route up onto Sca Fell. From this starting point you have 2 options available to you; neither of them are easy, but both of them are fun. We opted to start by dropping down underneath Broad Stand and then picking up the “path” to Foxes Tarn. I’m making this sound an awful lot easier than it actually is. The route down underneath Broad Stand is a very unstable scree slope which, just to make things interesting, is littered with tiny waterfalls which drip down onto you from the rocks of Sca Fell above. As you slip and slither your way down this route you realise just how big and imposing Sca Fell is; all that scree has to come from somewhere so be sure to take things steady and keep your eyes and ears open the whole time. To be honest I did most of this on my backside and that turned into a bit of a theme for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I have a pretty awful sense of balance so find it best to opt for as many points of contact as possible whenever the going gets slippy. Unfortunately it means I get through a lot of walking trousers, which is expensive, but at least I remain intact. At the end of Broad Stand the “path” up Sca Fell leads away to your right. I say “path” because it’s actually a rock strewn gill with no real discernible path. If you’re up for a scramble though it’s tremendous fun and there are plenty of hand and footholds along the way. Of course being a gill means it’s slippy so don’t try anything heroic, this is about getting to the top in one piece and not setting any speed records. At the top you’ll be rewarded with the tiny but perfectly proportioned Foxes Tarn; a perfectly peaceful sheltered little spot, ideal for the final flask of tea and a spot more chocolate. Another scree scramble brings you to the summit ridge of Sca Fell. We took a detour to the summit but sadly as we’d headed up the mist had come down, so there was nothing to see apart from showdy crags as the mist blew across. So we braced ourselves and headed for Lord’s Rake. Now, how do you tackle a challenging route if you’ve never done it before? You keep your sensible head on, take your time and use all the experience you’ve gained from elsewhere to get you through safely. If the Corridor Route had been easier than expected then this was definitely harder. We dropped down off the summit via Symonds Knott and along Scafell Crag. The entrance to Lord’s Rake is easy to spot but intimidating from the off. If you are at all unsure of your ability to complete this route then stop now, return to the summit and head back via an alternate route. The route drops very steeply down a muddy scree strewn slope, along a narrow path, up a heavily screed gully before the biggest drop which will return you to the main path down from the fell. The route has been closed on regular occasions in the past due to land slips and it’s easy to see why. We made our way very slowly and carefully down the first drop, keeping close to the edge and using the solid crags for balance. The short narrow path at the bottom gives you a little breathing time before the final “up and over”. I find it a lot easier climbing this stuff than I do descending it and we were soon at the top of the final, gut wrenching, descent. It’s at moments like this that I question my sanity. By now it was 7:30pm on a Saturday night and across the breadth of the land millions of people were curled up in front of the TV with a pizza and a glass of wine. What on earth possessed me to be stood at the top of one of the trickiest descents in the Lake District with a dirty great grin on my face? Clearly I need help! It’s not the sort of drop you should stand staring at for too long, you’ll just scare yourself silly, so we set off, slowly and carefully making our way down the gully. It is a genuinely dangerous route with the very real possibility of getting injured either from slipping on the scree or being knocked by rocks dislodged by the person above you. Away down below us we could see the clear and stable route down off the fell, all we had to do was keep our heads long enough to reach it. As we inched our way down it was apparent that there were some very recent rock falls, which didn’t do a lot for our nerves, but we persevered, keeping our wits about us at all times. As we emerged from the main gully the ground became a lot firmer as we made our way back to the main path. As I stood and looked back at it I couldn’t quite believe what I’d just done. After all of that the rest of the descent was very straightforward and uneventful, the path is very clear and mainly paved and we were finally back at the car by 10pm. Would I do Lord’s Rake again? I very much doubt it, but I can’t wait to get back to Sca Fell, most definitely my new favourite fell to play on.
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The Isles of Scilly are often referred to as ‘England’s Caribbean’ due to the blue water and white beaches! I’ll be telling you all about my stay on St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly and why you should add it to your bucket list! The air is so fresh, the seafood is divine, the sea is...
The South Downs, now a National Park, attracts many with its chalk landscapes and gentle rolling hills. But there is another area some 30 miles to the north that is no less a draw for ramblers and nature lovers. The…
To coincide with the release of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood, we offer a guide to visiting the attractions associated with Britain's most legendary historical and mythical figures.
In 1869, French artist Gustave Doré began an extraordinary collaboration with the British journalist Blanchard Jerrold. Together, over four years, they produced a landmark account of the deprivation and squalor of mid-Victorian London
Richard Armitage talks about Pilgrimage, the draw of doing a film with multiple languages, chasing the news on Berlin Station Season 2, and Castlevania.
Complete travel guide to visiting the beaches of Normandy & WW2 sites in France where there is a wealth of history to see from the recent D-Day landings.
Jim Broadbent leads the cast.
A cathedral of magnificent trees on Vancouver Island, Carmanah Valley is a magical place for nature lovers. Here's what you need to know
To mark 2020’s Year of Cathedrals, Year of Pilgrimage, here are some of the most awe-inspiring ecclesiastical buildings that have helped shape Britain
Discover the top 10 things to do in Southampton for cruise visitors - What to do in Southampton with museums, old town, medieval walls and houses.
This self-guided walk in Chelsea, London will take you through the area and show you the hidden spots and secret places that make it so special.
You may recognise this building as Whitehaven Mansions, the London home of Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, in the the ...
This guide has everything you need to take a day trip to Winchester. It's one of the oldest cities in Britain, and there's a wealth of treasures here.
Recommended Southampton city restaurants, cafes & pubs for vegan and vegetarian food, chosen by a vegan who lives there.
