10 June 2025
It seemed a novel idea. People are used to pilgrimage with adults – but with children and dogs?
We certainly had to learn the ‘Art of Pilgrimage’, the process of journeying with young families, and the key being of course preparation. But along the pilgrimage, we have found a supportive community again. Someone to cheer us on, someone to share with (particularly the delicious home bakes), someone to listen to our problems.
When my children were young, church-run playgroups were an absolute lifeline for me. I found space, love and support. Over the years, I have spent many a day volunteering, giving back what I know is so essential for those overwhelming days of new motherhood. But what next after those playgroup days? Our families’ journey on, and the hustle and bustle of hectic work, school and extracurricular clubs can take over.
Time and again I found I would bump into past playgroup families and they would tell me how much they missed those playgroup days. The support, the community, the shared cuppa.
They wished they could get that back again, they hadn’t realised how special those days were. The church had been there then, so I wondered how we could continue to walk the walk with families now. Well, there was the answer, walking!
A lot of our ‘old’ playgroup families loved to walk and I had just discovered the North Wales Pilgrims Way – a 135-mile walk from Basingwerk Abbey in Holywell to Bardsey Island. Maybe we could try one walk, to see if people enjoy it? I thought it would be lovely for those families to get together again for the day.
Well, just over a year later and I can safely say, they certainly did enjoy that. The one walk was destined to be more, the families multiplied as each new walk along the pilgrims' path was announced and we are now nearly halfway to Bardsey!
We are now changed, just as the seasons and the surroundings change as we walk on. We see those majestic mountain ranges, the timeless Yew Trees and ancient chapels where many have trodden before us, and we feel the hand of God in creation ushering us forward to journey together.
We have been travelling on the North Wales Pilgrims Way with our families for over a year now. Walking during Spring, Summer and Autumn, watching the seasons and our families change and grow. We have had walkers from 0-80 years old, and the mix of ages is truly a blessing. We try to aim for around 7-10 miles per walk – although depending on our navigation skills, that can vary! We have visited Friaries, Holy Wells, Standing Stones, Pilgrim Hubs, Cathedrals and Cafes. We have also tragically lost our much-loved chapel member Jane and walked our pilgrimage in honour of her, raising over £1,000 for Maggie’s Cancer Support Centre.
We are walking our way through the seasons of life, giving people that space that the pace of daily life often doesn’t allow for – space for questions, space for growth, space for community and space for the life-giving waters of God.
And so we journey on. Eglwysbach to Penmaenmawr next time. A 10-mile hike will take us on Coffin Path to the Ancient Llangellyin Chapel, which was featured on the much-acclaimed BBC Pilgrimage series in 2024. At this point, I will just say how amazing it has been that by sheer coincidence the BBC series was broadcast just days before our first pilgrimage was booked. We need more programmes like this! We need pilgrimages!
