The Divine Feminine across Britain’s Landscape: Women’s Pilgrimage Places
“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” -Miriam Adeney
Humans have been migrating and pilgrimaging across landscapes for thousands of years. Prehistoric humans have been found to not only follow the seasons but also to pilgrimage back to locations considered sacred sites of worship, marked by burial mounds as landmarks which helped them navigate and orient their surroundings. A sort of for one service: The decorated mounds helped them know where they were along their migratory route and acted as a spiritual pitstop to commune with their ancestors and mystical realms of the earth, underworld, the liminal and the cosmos.
In the medieval period, pilgrimaging was all the rage, specifically to early Christians and pagans travelling, usually on foot, to visit a shrine, a natural deity in the form of rivers, wells and yew trees or places of religious importance. The walking pilgrimages of Medieval Britain and Europe were devotional journeys to holy sites, often to encourage and seek spiritual benefits such as connecting to the sacred, asking for forgiveness, healing or an opportunity to visit relics of saints. In medieval life, these walking journeys to votive sites were a way for the people to take time out for themselves as a holiday (holy-day) but also connect with a deeper spirituality within themselves and commune with the spiritual realm. These were walking meditations to quiet the mind of the hum drum of busy life, but also to make friends with like-minded souls and have time to oneself for self-reflection and relaxation.
Medieval pilgrimages were not just for serious religious practice either, as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales documents. People had fun too. Whilst many on the road were pious, a number of people bought souvenirs in the form of pilgrimage pin badges to show off where they’ve been (not too dissimilar to our holiday fridge magnet collections), they partied, feasted and got drunk, they were known to attend brothels, tournaments, communal singing, storytelling, games and even shopping (if you were wealthy enough to afford said luxury). Entertainment in the form of travelling performers such as jugglers, puppeteers, dramatists, acrobats and minstrels added to the experience.
Celtic Christians were considered to be Hospites Mundi or guests of the world; similarly to present-day Buddhists, they lived lightly on this earth and practiced non-attachment to possessions or a particular abode. They believed that the place of spiritual resurrection need not be popular, famous or far away; simplicity was key, a pilgrimage could be to a simple stone hut, secluded valley, temperate rain forest grove or a wind-swept island. To Celtic Christians, the importance was in each person finding their own site that called to them, rather than following the crowd. Celtic Christians were also still influenced by the old pagan ways, and they continued to revere nature as part of their devotions.
The Celts had a saying for those setting out on pilgrimage: “Let your feet follow your heart until you find your place of resurrection.” and in Albania to this day, locals chant “Blessed are your feet for bringing you here” to travellers and guests whilst Bhakti wandering saints of south Asia are known to saunter through the landscape chanting devotional poetry and accepting sustenance and shelter from nature or the kindness of locals. Reminding us just how connected we are and how universal and intrinsic this desire to roam for healing or spiritual fulfilment is.
There’s been a surge of interest in pilgrimaging recently between the faithful, neo-pagans, folklorists and historians, walking enthusiasts and naturists alike, perhaps as a counteraction to being locked up during the pandemic. But I’ve realised a lot of these routes tend to focus heavily on masculine saints, prophets, knights and legendary figures of lore. Even today, the ancient European route of The Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James, is a very popular pilgrimage for religious and non-religious alike, as is ‘The Pilgrims Way’ in England to Canterbury Cathedral and The St. Olav Waterway in Sweden and Finland.
I ask the question: Where are the ways of lady saints? Where are the nature routes associated with the sacred feminine or Mother Earth?
So, I set out to find some pilgrimage walking routes and sites across the British Isles and if you love walking trails or trekking for hours along the countryside, as I do, especially during the warmer summer months and fancy a little bit of mystical history associated with the spiritual feminine along the way as we can walk in tune with nature’s cycles to find strength and renewal. Saunter with me to connect with the divine femininity within and around you.
Pilgrimage Routes and Sites:
The Way of Love—North of England, 28 miles, 3 days, Moderate
Start at Hartlepool, finish at Durham
The Way of Love follows the influence of three of the most important female figures in the establishment of Christianity in England.
The churches on this route have female dedications: Hilda, Mary Magdalene and Helen.
St Hilda was a Celtic abbess of Whitby, known as a skilled administrator, teacher and land owner. Folklore alleges that when seagulls fly over the abbey, they dip their wings in honour of Saint Hilda, and she banished a plague of snakes by turning them into stone, thus explaining the presence of ammonite fossils on the coastline.
Mary Magdalene has a strong present-day following with new age spiritualists who revere the Magdalene as the wife of Jesus and a representation of feminine power. In Christianity, she is a symbol of transformation, hope and undivided love.
St Helen was a British princess and the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor. She is credited with having found the true cross, plus its nails and the remains of the three kings. This walk mixes maritime and mining heritage, nationally important nature reserves and the North East's iconic dunes.
St Hilda’s Way—North Yorkshire, 47 miles, 5 days, Moderate
If you want to solely concentrate on St Hilda, this route is for you.
St Hilda's Way is a new (2015) long-distance trail in North Yorkshire, starting from Hinderwell and finishing at Whitby Abbey. The walk is designed as a pilgrimage and visits eight Churches and Chapels, all dedicated to St Hilda, as well as two other churches named after St Hedda and St Mary. At each location, there is a special focus on a different aspect of the saint's life, something to find in the church and the opportunity for reflection and meditation. This is a beautiful coastal route where you can saunter across the headland and dreamily gaze out to the sea.
St. Philomena’s Way, from the Cathedral of Our Lady Help of Christians—Shrewsbury to Liverpool, 81 miles, 8 days, hard
St Philomena was a virgin martyr whose remains were discovered in 1802 in the Catacomb of Priscilla. She is the patron saint of infants, babies, and youth. Her folklore, as depicted in traditional accounts, includes miraculous events like being healed by angels after being scourged, escaping drowning with an anchor, and arrows turning back to harm the archer.
The Way passes Shrewsbury Abbey and then follows the north bank of the River Severn, onwards to more sacred locations and farmland and onto the beautiful sandstone trail to the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Ellesmere Port, before heading through the Wirral, Birkenhead and the Mersey Estuary. Your final destination will be the Shrine Church of St. Peter & Paul and St Philomena, New Brighton.
St. Melangell’s Way— Shrewsbury to Wales (St Winifred's Well), 23 miles, 2 days, moderate.
Melangell is a Welsh hermit, abbess and patron saint of hares and wild animals.
The folktale of St Melangell is of her saving a hare from a prince and his hounds. Upon sensing her saintly nature, the hare hid under Melangell’s skirt, and the hounds ran away howling. Attempting to urge his hounds to continue the hunt, the prince tried to blow his horn, but it got stuck on his lips! So impressed was the prince of Melangell’s mystical abilities with taming animals, he gave Pennant valley to her, and she turned it into a sacred refuge, and she built a community there. The shrine has all the bones intact of a woman from the sixth century, which is quite rare and is considered to be Melangell. The area is surrounded by waterfalls and the Tanat valley– a rather grounding, enchanting and peaceful place. The Pennant valley is a magical area, and close to the shrine of St. Melangell is a grove of ancient yew trees, and nearby is a rock in a cliff which local lore says is where Melangell prayed.
St Brigid’s Way– Ireland, 9 days, 22.5 miles, moderate.
Brigid is both a Christian saint and a Celtic, Irish deity.
She is patroness of many things, including poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock and dairy production, goddess of fire and water, she's also the patron saint of midwives, newborns, Irish nuns, fugitives, blacksmiths, dairymaids, boatmen, chicken farmers, cattle, scholars, sailors– Just about anything and everyone! Brigid's feast day, February 1st, coincides with the ancient pagan festival of Imbolc, celebrating the end of winter and the coming of spring.
This route was inspired by a strong desire to revive the ancient art of pilgrimage, which was such a central part of the indigenous tradition of the British Isles. This Celtic Pilgrimage starts at Faughart, passes through beautiful Irish landscapes from villages to lush farmland, to forest and bog, the Grand Canal, Fenland and finishes at Kildare. Along the route, stop-offs include: Holy Well at Faughart, Knockbridge Standing Stone also known as the ‘Cuchulainn Stone’, the Hill of Slane, the Hill of Tara, Brideswell Kilcock, Brigid’s Fire Temple and Holy Wells, Kildare.
Royal Kentish Women’s Camino Trail– 23 miles, 2 days, moderate.
A new pilgrimage route was launched on Saturday, 27 April 2024. This trail aims to highlight the achievements of royal Kentish women who were involved in the development of Christianity in England and who have been excluded from history.
Along the trail you visit St Bertha’s chapel (Who was married to the pagan King Ethelbert) on the grounds of St Martin’s Church in Canterbury and Midway along the route is St Mary & St Ethelburga Church, Lyminge, where recent excavations uncovered the remains of a church, dated to the time of Queen Ethelburga, daughter of Bertha. The end of the route is at St Mary & St Eanswythe, Folkestone, where human bones have been excavated from a church wall of a woman considered to be the relics of St Eanswythe.
The Way of the Water– 55 miles, 6 days, moderate
The connection between womanhood and water dates back centuries. Across the globe, there are numerous water goddesses, mermaids, water nymphs and water priestesses. The waters of the womb are cyclical and tidal with the oceans and phases of the moon. Sacred waters, prehistoric monuments, a cathedral, and exotic Christian folklore, this modern trail, created in 2020, has it all. Offering six inspiring days of connecting with sacred waters by encountering holy springs, sacred baths honouring a goddess, holy wells, rivers and springs.
Starting in the city of Bath, you can visit the Roman baths, Aquae Sulis, dedicated to Sulis Minerva, which are natural thermal springs. Then pass along the canal before heading off to Warleigh Weir, a popular wild-swimming spot. Next, you head to Freshford to visit the rivers Avon and Frome. On your next day, hunt for the hidden forest well of Ela, next head to St Mary’s, Orchardleigh’s lake. Staying in Frome, head to the sacred waters of St John’s well before heading to Mells stream through enchanting woodland where St Mary Magdalene’s church resides by an elm. After Mells, the route joins the beautiful East Mendip Way, passing by Cranmore Tower with its gorgeous views, before a short trip to the Holy Well in Doulting.
Leaving Wells, ascending Worminster Down, Glastonbury Tor is in view, and soon one reaches the Gog Magog oak trees, marking the entrance point into the sacred landscape of Glastonbury. Glastonbury, being your final destination, you can visit the Chalice Well’s garden that houses the sacred red springs and further down the road is the cave-like temple housing the gushing white springs of which many visitors bathe in.
Shorter walks and Sites:
Hope Walking’s Women to Womenswold– 6 miles, half a day, gentle
This is a walking retreat for women who have suffered bereavement and loss and have no specific faith, although you do venture to St Margaret’s church as part of the picturesque and peaceful route.
London– Half a day, gentle
Southwark Cathedral sits over an area that was once an Isis temple– quite a common practice with early Christianity to build over pagan sites, artefacts found by mudlarkers and archaeologists like pottery and votive Venus status and inscriptions are encased in cabinets upon entering the cathedral. The cathedral was first named the priory of Saint Mary Overie, meaning “Mary over the water”. Interesting to note that Mary is associated with Isis as queen of heaven, and Overie sounds like “Ovary”, and ovaries are moon-like in shape. Spent 30-45 minutes here before heading over to Crossbones Graveyard is a disused post-medieval burial ground that honours the outcast dead, in particular the Winchester geese (medieval sex workers). A local artist and volunteers have turned this place into a world-famous shrine of remembrance, and include rituals and ceremonies at Halloween and St Mary Magdalene’s feast day, July 22nd. After that, complete your journey at St Bride’s church and Crypt, decorated with Celtic Christian symbolism.
Surrey Saints— 9-hour walk, day-long pilgrimage by car, 2 days on foot
In the picturesque beauty of Surrey’s countryside, start at at the ruins of St Catherine’s chapel situated on a hill near a local pub, then venture for a spell to Watt’s Chapel in Guildford created in British Art Nouveau style version of Celtic Revival by artist Mary Watts, the small building is a stunning piece of art and architecture. Then head to Mother Ludlam’s cave in Farnham, local folklore tell of a good witch named Mother Ludlam who kindly healed those in need had her cauldron stolen by the devil, she ran after him, took her cauldron back and hid it at St Mary’s & all Saints church where you can see the cauldron for real yourself.
St Mary’s and All Saints is the final destination, situated in Dunsfold, and it was considered the prettiest church in England. About a minute's walk down a small footpath, you can also visit a holy well, and it is said this was once a pagan site of worship, given that the holy well and church are built by a river.
Glastonbury— Full day or long weekend, gentle
Glastonbury is world-renowned for being the heart chakra of the UK. The town itself is one big beating heart pilgrimage centre with strong divine feminine energy, as well as being known as a sacred place for Druidism. Rich in myth and legend– associated with the lore of King Arthur, the Isle of Avalon and the holy Grail, it is a nexus of ancient and New Age beliefs. Christian tradition holds that Joseph of Arimathea arrived in Glastonbury with his staff, which miraculously bloomed into the Glastonbury Thorn, and established the first church in Britain.
You can visit the Goddess Temple, Chalice Wells, The White Spring and St Margaret’s & Magdalene’s Almshouse as well as Glastonbury Abbey and the Tor, which is believed to be a gateway to Annwn, the realm of the fairies, which was ruled over by Gwyn Ap Nudd, king of the fairies. Some believe there was once a mystery school here, too, where priestesses resided. This is a lovely town to gently walk around as a pilgrimage route and destination in its own right.
Although many readers may not be Christian, as I am not either, I hope that these walking trails are seen in an open-minded way, as routes to awaken our divine femininity within historic buildings and in the wild. Many of these lady saints are lesser known than their male comrades, and much of the land, once governed by goddesses, has been destroyed, built over and forgotten. I hope that this inspires women to venture on their own sacred journey or walking meditations as a reclamation of our own power and divine right to autonomy and sanctity in this patriarchal, hectic world.
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Katie has been a contributing writer for local and international sites and publications such as Kindred Spirit Magazine, Femme Occulte, Witches Magazine, Occulture Magazine, Haunted Magazine, The Feminine Macabre, Girl God Books, The C Word Mag, Mulberry Literary, You Aligned and Running Wild Press, among a variety of others. Her poetry is published widely with an array of anthologies and two poetry collections entitled ‘Aphrodite Fever Dream’ and ‘Juggernaut’.
Her non-fiction book entitled 'Word Witchery: Walking the Path of the Poetry Priestess' is set to be published with Moon Books in Oct 2025. She is drafting her second book.
Katie is also a yoga teacher and budding historian with a particular interest in mysticism, the occult and folklore. In her free time, she is an avid traveller, artist and poet. Find her @katie_wild_witch
