The British Pilgrimage Trust

Our Pilgrimage Gathering 2025 is now sold out, but you can still join us on Thursday for a wonderful concert of reimagined folk songs -- presented in collaboration with Broadside Hacks. www.britishpilgrimage.org/events/pilgr...

Michaelmas invites us to explore angels—whether as beings, guides or symbols of courage. Visit Michael shrines, walk a pilgrimage, or attend Evensong with angelic music: www.choralevensong.org/uk/
#CelebrateAngels #FaithJourney #britishpilgrimage

The Mary and Michael line from Cornwall to Suffolk

Did you know?
• 816 churches in England are dedicated to Michael & All Angels
• The ‘Michael Line’ runs Cornwall–Suffolk, passing many sacred sites (See www.britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/ma...)
• 30% of people in Britain say they believe in angels (Rupert Sheldrake)
#StMichael #Angels #Pilgrimage

Michaelmas September 29th

✨ Michaelmas: The Pilgrimage of Angels ✨
On Sept 29 we honour St Michael the Archangel—protector, warrior, yet also loving and kind. How might you celebrate? See www.britishpilgrimage.org/resources/mi... for ideas!
#Michaelmas #Pilgrimage

British Pilgrimage Trust map showing location of Southwick Priory.

To investigate the section of the Old Way that visits Southwick, search for "Southwick" on our route and place map. The Old Way section from Titchfield to Havant: Lost Shrines and the Oldest Yews, passes the remains of Southwick Priory.

Old Way route:
www.britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/2-...

Henry VIII by Holbein

Henry VIII banned pilgrimage in 1538, so it may come as a surprise to discover that he once made his own pilgrimage -- to Southwick Priory -- donating 6s. 8d. worth around £250 today. Today marks the day of his pilgrimage. www.britishpilgrimage.org/places/south...

Mabon and the Autumn Equinox: a celebration of balance, abundance, and nature’s transition - British Pilgrimage Trust As the days grow shorter and the air becomes crisper, we approach the Autumn Equinox, also known as Mabon or Alban Elfed in the Druidic tradition

Tomorrow day and night stand in perfect balance, and we welcome Mabon and the Autumn Equinox. Summer fades, winter approaches.

Visit: www.britishpilgrimage.org/resources/ma... to learn about Mabon and get some ideas for how you can celebrate in your own home.

And as Michaelmas is next Monday, what better way to celebrate that, than to join us on the Archangel Michael pilgrimage in Wells? Details here: www.britishpilgrimage.org/events/wells...

This photo in this group is of blackberry jam made by blackberries gathered on our Glastonbury guided pilgrimages this year. Yum!

Prickly and sweet, flexible but resilient, when the Bramble is seen as the embodiment of the calendar's Vine, it reminds us to take everything in balance - perfectly timed as we approach the point between summer and winter.

Blackberries should be harvested by the Equinox (Monday, September 22) in the Druid tradition, or by Michaelmas (Monday, September 29), as the Devil spits on them (he landed in a bramble bush when he fell from Heaven after fighting Archangel Michael).

Whilst a nuisance when they block our path, there's something about blackberries that brings out the Hunter-Gatherer in us all, tying us to the first people to walk the ancient tracks still followed in this land. Tenacious, protective and abundant in harvest.

September marks the Celtic Tree Calendar month of the Vine.

There is debate about which woody, winding plant Vine refers to. Grapes? Bramble? Both share an abundance of fruit at this season, and as more vineyards spread across Britain, you may well encounter both whilst out on the path.

British Pilgrimage Trust Satish Kumar with Guy Hayward Beyond the Ordinary Peace-pilgrim, life-long activist and former monk, Satish Kumar has been inspiring global change for over 50 years. He is the founder of The Resurgence Trust. Pilgrimage Gathering 2025: October 2nd - Ladbroke Hall, London

British Pilgrimage Trust Pilgrimage Gathering 2025 Programme includes: The History of Pilgrimage • The Archaic Folk Revival Grand Union Canal Pilgrimage • Rise of the Cunning Folk • Beyond the Ordinary + An Evening Concert with Broadside Hacks Speakers: ALICE LOXTON • LUKE SHERLOCK • DANIEL WILSON GUY HAYWARD • DAZE AGHAJI • JEREMY DELLER JENNIFER REID • MARTIN PALMER • JONATHAN WEEKES • ZOFIA PAGE • INDIA RAKUSEN • TABITHA STANMORE • THE SEED SISTAS • RUPERT SHELDRAKE • MAC MACARTNEY • SATISH KUMAR Sponsored by VIVOBAREFOOT: October 2nd - Ladbroke Hall, London

Join #SatishKumar for the 2025 #Pilgrimage Gathering: 2nd October, Ladbroke Hall, London

A day of #walking, #storytelling, #music & #ritual with Britain's leading folklorists, artists, mystics, historians and healers, hosted by @pilgrimtrust.bsky.social

Discover more > britishpilgrimage.org/events

Be sure to join our mailing list to hear about other guided pilgrimages coming up. Or visit the Events page on our website.
#britishpilgrimage #robinhood

And naturally, we encountered some glorious trees, including the Major Oak, estimated to be 1,000 to 1,200 years old and long associated with Robin Hood and his merry band.

Last Monday, Guy took a group of pilgrims on a new route for us — the Robin Hood Pilgrimage.

We began and ended at Edwinstowe Church — where outlaw legend Robin Hood and Maid Marian were married — a story first written down in 15th-century ballads, but likely rooted in even older oral traditions.

Finally, we round off the day with reimagined folk songs rooted in the land and its stories, this concert invites us to dance and reflect, in collaboration with Broadside Hacks.

Beyond the Ordinary: Pilgrimage is a threshold into the unseen — a journey not only through the natural world, but toward spirit and soul. How can walking with intention awaken our deeper awareness, attune us to the more-than-human, open a portal to the mystery and reawaken our inner life?

The Rise of the Cunning Folk: As interest in pilgrimage grows, so too does a yearning to reconnect with ancestral wisdom—esp the magical, medicinal, and spiritual practices once held by the cunning folk, herbalists, wise women and ritual workers.

Grand Union Canal pilgrimage: we head out to the streets, with a discussion of the international Green Pilgrimage and Sacred Earth Activism networks, bringing a global perspective on sacred environmental movements, and stories from a recent pilgrimage along the River Medway.

Exploring the Archaic Folk Revival: Across Britain, ancient traditions are being revived — not as nostalgia, but as resistance and re-enchantment. We explore the folk revival as a living culture, rooted in ritual, place, and the commons, from punk zines to ritual processions.

History of Pilgrimage: A sweeping conversation tracing pilgrimage from ancient rites to modern resurgence. Why did our ancestors walk, and why are we walking again today? Pilgrimage as a living compass for times of disconnection.

We're getting pretty excited over here at BPT about our Pilgrimage Gathering at Ladbroke Hall in London, Oct 2nd. Join us! The whole team will be there, with a lineup of Britain's leading folklorists, artists, mystics, historians and healers. Read on! 👇
www.britishpilgrimage.org/events/pilgr...

British Pilgrimage Trust guided pilgrimage events.

British Pilgrimage Trust guided pilgrimage events.

British Pilgrimage Trust guided pilgrimage events.

British Pilgrimage Trust guided pilgrimage events.

🌿 Step into the story and spirit of pilgrimage, as we enter high summer and autumn. Join the British Pilgrimage Trust for guided pilgrimages to York, Canterbury, Glastonbury and Sherwood Forest. Led by our team, each journey is a chance to walk with meaning. www.britishpilgrimage.org/events

Athelstan Pilgrim Way

Athelstan Pilgrim Way

Athelstan Pilgrim Way

Delighted to share news of the launch of the final 40 mile long section of the Athelstan Pilgrim Way in North Wiltshire, with a programme of events to be held over the weekend of 6 and 7 September.

You can find all the latest routes at athelstanpilgrimway.org/routes/

All 42 English cathedrals. With a cello. On a bike! That's how Kenneth Wilson has been spending his time since May of this year. A truly inspiring and unique #pilgrimage. This is his last week -- he finishes in Carlisle on Friday It'll be a toasty week to finish! Bravo! kennethwilsoncello.com.

🕊️ Upcoming Bereavement Pilgrimages in Somerset:
🌿 June 27–29: 3-day pilgrimage for anyone grieving a loved one: www.britishpilgrimage.org/events/3-day...

🌿 July 5–6: 2-day pilgrimage for parents who’ve experienced difficult births: www.britishpilgrimage.org/events/mothe...

Led by Dawn Champion of the British Pilgrimage Trust, along with experienced grief tender Ruth Sidgwick and Theo Clarke (www.theo-clarke.org.uk), founder of the Global Birth Trauma Alliance.

Please share with anyone you feel could benefit.

Do you know someone living with grief? We offer gentle, nature-based pilgrimages for those carrying loss. These shared journeys can bring solace through the power of walking in nature.

🌿 June 27–29: 3-day pilgrimage to Bath
🌿 July 5–6: 2-day pilgrimage to Bath

www.britishpilgrimage.org/events