The New Pilgrim’s Trail

The New Pilgrim’s Trail

In 2019, artists and writers, Alissa Pemberton, Nicky Kenny and Philippa Tipper were commissioned by Culture MK and the City Discovery Centre to create a new walking and cycling route through Milton Keynes called the ‘Pilgrims’ Trail.’

This trail runs along the western edge of Milton Keynes, taking in medieval sites along an imagined pilgrimage route through the city. It takes us from Tattenhoe Church (which has many stones from the original Snelshall Priory site) to the chapel of St Mary at Bradwell Abbey.

As well as walking, most of the route can be cycled and is accessible, apart from some rough ground on the bridleway and a stepped railway bridge which can be avoided. The trail is never far from Milton Keynes grid roads and redways, so can easily be broken up into shorter sections or loops if 8 miles is too far for one day.

MK Trails outlines and maps the walk on their website. It’s a 4 to 5 hours walk, 1 to 2 hours cycle and covers 8.5 miles.

New Pilgrim Tales of Milton Keynes Download

The artists put together an almanac, a handbook in PDF format, that includes stories, poems and places of interest to accompany walkers.

What is a pilgrimage?

A pilgrimage is a journey with purpose on foot to holy or special places.

People have made pilgrimages across countless geographies, cultures and eras. Today, popular pilgrimages include Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims, and the thousand-year-old Christian pilgrim route from France to Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain.

Pilgrimages were popular in Britain until Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell banned them. There is a growing interest in the old pilgrim trails in the UK and the British Pilgrimage Trust is reopening many of the old and forgotten routes.

To turn a walk into a pilgrimage, at the beginning set your private ‘intention’ – dedicate your journey to something that you want help with, or for which you want to give thanks.

Pilgrimage is for everyone, promoting holistic wellbeing via pilgrim practices and connecting you with yourself, others, nature and everything beyond.

Further reading