Pilgrimage routes

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Heathbrook
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Joined: 7 Jul 2015, 2:22pm

Pilgrimage routes

Post by Heathbrook »

I read an article in the press this weekend about a number of new pilgrimage routes being opened
This one has caught my eye
http://www.pilgrims-way-north-wales.org/route.html
Looks a great route with lots of interesting things to see along the way
They are specifically aimed at walkers, but I guess a cycle route could be cobbled together
Does anyone know this route, or has anyone ridden any of the pilgrimage routes and would recommend them?
Thanks
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gaz
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by gaz »

There are the Towers and Spires routes, although I don't know where you'll find further information.

Kent has the Pilgrims Cycle Trail linking Rochester and Canterbury Cathedrals by NCN17 and NCN18. Broadly it follows the Pilgrims Way, an ancient route, using a series of minor roads, bridleways and by-ways strung together with few surface improvements. Not the easiest route to follow, bulk of the signing is by Volunteer Rangers with incomplete coverage of the route.

It's a nice route if you like off road riding, I've done about half to three quarters. I'd probably cut from Westwell through to Wye, the route into Ashford has nothing to commend it.

Edit: Pilgrimage Way Barking Abbey to Waltham Abbey.
Last edited by gaz on 21 May 2016, 11:28pm, edited 2 times in total.
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andymiller
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by andymiller »

A quick plug for:

http://www.viafrancigena.bike/en/

The cycle version of the Via Francigena in Italy. They've jut run s duccessful crowd-funding campaign to pay for signposting.
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gaz
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by gaz »

Launching during Bike Week 2021 is the Cathedrals Cycle Route, taking you nearly 2,000 miles across England’s landscape between 42 cathedrals
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cathedrals-cy ... -challenge
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markjohnobrien
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by markjohnobrien »

Heathbrook wrote: 2 May 2016, 3:47pm I read an article in the press this weekend about a number of new pilgrimage routes being opened
This one has caught my eye
http://www.pilgrims-way-north-wales.org/route.html
Looks a great route with lots of interesting things to see along the way
They are specifically aimed at walkers, but I guess a cycle route could be cobbled together
Does anyone know this route, or has anyone ridden any of the pilgrimage routes and would recommend them?
Thanks
Yes, I’ve ridden around there when on holiday on the Llyn peninsula - cycled around Nefyn and Morfa Nefyn back to Harlech and hence onto Barmouth.
Raleigh Randonneur 708 (Magura hydraulic brakes); Blue Raleigh Randonneur 708 dynamo; Pearson Compass 631 tourer; Dawes One Down 631 dynamo winter bike;Raleigh Travelogue 708 tourer dynamo; Kona Sutra; Trek 920 disc Sram Force.
Richard Fairhurst
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by Richard Fairhurst »

gaz wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 4:24pm
Launching during Bike Week 2021 is the Cathedrals Cycle Route, taking you nearly 2,000 miles across England’s landscape between 42 cathedrals
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cathedrals-cy ... -challenge
Interesting project.

It looks like a serviceable cycle route between cathedrals. I'm not convinced there's much of a "pilgrimage" about it - they're by and large well-trodden paths (NCN routes or similar), and there doesn't seem to have been much of an attempt to pass by many holy places en route. The Leicester–Peterborough leg misses Launde Abbey by a few miles, for example, and I'm surprised Salisbury–Exeter doesn't go via Sherborne Abbey. Some of the route choices are a bit odd - the Worcester–Coventry route detours via the southern Birmingham suburbs, and Lichfield–Chester spends a lot of time on bumpy towpaths.

But I'm sure it'll be enjoyable to ride. I think if I were planning a cycling pilgrimage, I'd probably look for something further off the beaten track, perhaps riding through the Welsh borders past some of the tiny village churches and old drovers' roads.
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scottg
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by scottg »

I went on a pilgrimage to the Alex Singer shop, now that was inspiring.
The wall of holy relics was most impressive, I lit a candle to Saint Lucien of Simplex.
Throwing stones at the Delrin Devils was very satisfying.
Don't forget to spin high flange Maxi-car hubbed prayer wheels.
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Oldjohnw
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by Oldjohnw »

I made my own route a few years ago, enjoying Choral Evensong along the way,

Ripon, York, Beverley (not strictly a cathedral) and on to Lincoln. I wanted to start at Newcastle then Durham but time was limited and I had separately visited.

Good public Transport either end (for Ripon I started at Northallerton).
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PT1029
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by PT1029 »

If you can time some visits to 6pm (or even 6am), you will get the sun shining down the isle.
Many years ago we did a weekend to Salisbury YH, I think at Easter(?) - it was the weekend the Queen Mother died I think. We happened to be in the catherderal at 6pm, and the low sun shone throught the west window straight down the isle.
I think it was winter time, if so in the summer it would be 7pm.
AndyK
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by AndyK »

Richard Fairhurst wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 5:54pm
gaz wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 4:24pm
Launching during Bike Week 2021 is the Cathedrals Cycle Route, taking you nearly 2,000 miles across England’s landscape between 42 cathedrals
https://www.cyclinguk.org/cathedrals-cy ... -challenge
Interesting project.

It looks like a serviceable cycle route between cathedrals. I'm not convinced there's much of a "pilgrimage" about it - they're by and large well-trodden paths (NCN routes or similar), and there doesn't seem to have been much of an attempt to pass by many holy places en route. The Leicester–Peterborough leg misses Launde Abbey by a few miles, for example, and I'm surprised Salisbury–Exeter doesn't go via Sherborne Abbey. Some of the route choices are a bit odd - the Worcester–Coventry route detours via the southern Birmingham suburbs, and Lichfield–Chester spends a lot of time on bumpy towpaths.

But I'm sure it'll be enjoyable to ride. I think if I were planning a cycling pilgrimage, I'd probably look for something further off the beaten track, perhaps riding through the Welsh borders past some of the tiny village churches and old drovers' roads.
The Winchester-Salisbury route is... interesting. The organisers claim to have designed the routes with the help of "local cyclists". I can safely say no local cyclist was involved in that section - unless it was someone who lives in North Baddesley and who wanted to drag everyone through miles of A-road and suburban purgatory just so they'd go past his house.
Angstrom
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by Angstrom »

Richard Fairhurst wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 5:54pm
It looks like a serviceable cycle route between cathedrals. I'm not convinced there's much of a "pilgrimage" about it
Sadly, bike touring is caught into a marketing whirl and Pilgrimage is in fashion at the moment, so nothing surprising, unfortunately.

Richard, you are excellent at writing about cycle touring in a very easy to read, useful, balanced yet motivating manner. Most Tourist office copy writing quality is poor (IMHO) and any bait to get folks come their way seems OK for them to use. Including "inventing" pilgrimage ways to market the place.

PS: I'm sure mine is poor too as English is a foreign language to me.
"A cycle tourist doesn't have a track record. Just memories". Jean Taboureau
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horizon
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by horizon »

Richard Fairhurst wrote: 4 Apr 2021, 5:54pm ... there doesn't seem to have been much of an attempt to pass by many holy places en route. The Leicester–Peterborough leg misses Launde Abbey by a few miles, for example, and I'm surprised Salisbury–Exeter doesn't go via Sherborne Abbey.
Without getting into the arcane distinctions between cathedrals and abbeys, it is to be fair, a cathedrals tour. One would hope that the intelligent traveller would also note the castles, half-timbered houses and stately homes en route.

Last year was the first time I had been to Lincoln so I got the castle and the town as well as the cathedral. I also went to Cambridge which sadly lacks one.
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hamster
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Re: Pilgrimage routes

Post by hamster »

horizon wrote: 6 May 2021, 12:02pm Last year was the first time I had been to Lincoln so I got the castle and the town as well as the cathedral. I also went to Cambridge which sadly lacks one.
But Ely is just down the road!
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