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November 2021 Update

BPT’s Old Way on BBC1 TV

For those that missed it, BPT's Guy was on BBC1's Sunday Morning Live, a wellbeing, ethics and multi-faith programme. He explored a section of the Old Way with Debbie McGee, from Firle Beacon to Cuckmere Haven, via a tumulus, a Sanctuary church (with BPT Patron Peter Owen Jones), an ancient tree, a chalk man and a river estuary, ending at the sea, where Debbie throws her 'intention pebble' into the sea.

Pilgrimage and the Old Way on BBC1's Sunday Morning Live

Our New Patron:
Emma Bridgewater

Emma founded the British ceramics manufacturer Emma Bridgewater based in Stoke on Trent. In 2016, she was made President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, a charity that was formed in 1926 to limit urban sprawl and ribbon development. Emma is also a keen supporter of church conservation. We look forward to Emma's strategic guidance, and support with various initiatives that we are currently planning with her – watch this space…

Volunteering with the BPT

The launch of our first volunteer programme has been more popular than we had expected, and we'd like to thank everyone who applied for one of our roles. We offered positions supporting us in various ways, from administration to leading guided pilgrimages. We now have a brilliant team on board; it's been a joy to discover we have such a wide field of expertise at our disposal. Having a team of guides means we can offer more guided pilgrimages next year, all over Britain. They will be receiving thorough training over the winter months to devise a variety of unique pilgrimages that make the most of their individual talents. We can't wait to share them with you! Right now our spaces for volunteers are full, but more roles will be announced in 2022.

Imaging Pilgrimage Book

A new Bloomsbury book, Imaging Pilgrimage, has been launched, written by our advisor Prof Kathryn Barush. Chapter 3 is about the BPT's 2016 pilgrimage in honour of the centenary of William Blake and Hubert Parry’s creation of the song Jerusalem). We walked then with various young artists and musicians, one of them being Emma Bridgewater’s daughter, artist/textile designer Kitty Rice. The book has received high praise from several leading researchers into pilgrimage and, if you are a friend of the BPT, you can get a 35% discount.

River Aeron Pilgrimage

Finishing at Aberaeron in Wales (nr Aberystwyth), this river pilgrimage is a perfect length for walking source to sea in a weekend. The River Aeron feeds a land that has birthed many poets – there is a poet's monument at the river source, and you pass Dylan Thomas's house en route. At the end of the first day's stage you might soon even be able to stay at the Holden Farm Dairy, the makers of the best cheddar in the world, who are working towards hosting river pilgrims in their threshing barn.

Thanks to Guided Pilgrimage for recce'ing the route so expertly, and to Patrick and Becky Holden for the energy they have put into creating this route (see also Sustainable Food Trust and the Blaencamel Organic Farm en route) and to Owen Shiers of Cynefin who sung the route into existence with his welsh-language river songs.

Listening to the Land Pilgrimage to COP26

Guy walked for a couple of days with the Listening to the Land pilgrims at the start of their pilgrimage from Isle of Wight to Glasgow, along the Spine of Albion to arrive in time for COP26. They gained inspiration from their journey to make a theatrical performance (see video below), by listening to communities along the way and asking them what they wished for the land. This was in association with No Planet B & Letters to the Earth.

Voices Of The Land by Listening to the Land Pilgrimage for Nature & Friends | #COP26

Cathedral Cycle Route

Calling all pilgrim cyclists! There's a new route for you, downloadable from our website. It visits all the cathedrals in England. Doing it in one go might be tricky, but how about a day ride between two cathedrals? The good thing about cathedrals is that they define cities in England, and therefore usually have a train station you can use to conveniently get back to your start point.

Thanks to Association of English Cathedrals and Shaun Cutler, who founded this project. And Cycling UK and Sustrans for their support.