Pilgrimage

50 miles · 17 churches

The Gower Pilgrimage Way

Located in one of Wales' Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, The Gower Pilgrimage Way links seventeen of the peninsula's historic churches, along with several chapels and other sacred Christian sites. Following a path from Penclawdd in the north-west to Bishopston in the south-east, the route is 50 miles long.

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Radnorshire · Multiple routes

Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Walk

Abbey Cwmhir, a small village in Radnorshire with the ruins of a twelfth-century Cistercian monastery, has several walks that link this significant historic site with local churches, including the gothic St Mary the Virgin's.

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36 miles · 7 churches

Gwastedyn Trail

This circular thirty-six mile walk links seven historic churches across the Elan Valley, Radnorshire, beginning in the picturesque market town of Rhayader and ending at the ancient village of Cwmdeuddwr.

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Bannau Brycheiniog · Circular routes

Brecon Cathedral Pilgrimage route

There are two circular pilgrimages that start and end at Brecon Cathedral, a former Benedictine Priory in the heart of Y Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The first of these walks takes in the village of Llanddew, with its twelfth-century church and the remains of the Bishop's Palace, residence of Gerald of Wales while he was Archdeacon of Brecon. The second walk travels north of the Cathedral and passes two holy wells and an Iron Age hillfort.

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Multi-day · Challenging

The Welsh Cistercian Way

One of the most challenging pilgrimage routes in Wales, the Welsh Cistercian Way focuses on the great Welsh Cistercian abbeys, including Abbey Cwmhir in Radnorshire.

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Swansea to Hereford · Historic

The St Thomas Way

The St Thomas Way, which stretches from Swansea to Hereford, is inspired by the 1290 pilgrimage of William Cragh from Swansea to the shrine of St Thomas at Hereford Cathedral. Cragh, a convicted murderer, was hanged in Swansea but the collapse of the gallows was attributed to a miracle of St Thomas. Cragh walked the pilgrimage with a noose still around his neck, accompanied by the Norman ruler William de Briouze.

The section of the pilgrimage that passes through Swansea and Brecon takes in some of the diocese's most significant churches including St Issui's in Partricio, a medieval church nestled in the spectacular Black Mountains, which retains its pre-Reformation rood screen and wall paintings.

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