Swansea featured in ‘The best walks inspired by BBC’s Pilgrimage for you to try’

Inspired to tred the path of ancient pilgrims? Why not follow in the footsteps of ‘The Hanged Man’ on the St Thomas Way in Swansea!

With a new series of Pilgrimage: The Road to the Scottish Isles set to hit screens on BBC 2 this Friday (April 8th 2022 – at 9pm), Big Cottages were inspired to curate a list of pilgrimage style walking routes for those planning to holiday in the UK this year.

Featuring nine routes across England, Wales and Scotland, that all form sections of paths well trodden by ancient pilgrims in the UK, the guide aims to punctuate great hikes with a little historical and cultural interest.

The guide also includes recommendations for points of interest along the way, as well as places to stop for a bite to eat and something to drink. All of the routes and POIs are handily sign-posted using Google Maps and What3Words to aid walkers with planning and orientation.

The new BBC series will feature seven celebrities of mixed faiths as they follow 1,000 miles in  the footsteps of 6th Century Irish Monk, St Columba, from Donegal to the island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides.

The celebrities are Shazia Mirza, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Monty Panesar, Louisa Clein, Nick Hewer, Scarlett Moffatt & Will Bayley.

The Big Cottages’ guide features shorter and more manageable walks than the one being tackled by the celebs.

One of the nine featured UK walks follows in the footsteps of St Thomas in Swansea.

Legend has it that William Cragh, otherwise known as the ‘Hanged Man’, was hanged in 1290 but came back to life. After his recovery, he went on pilgrimage to the tomb of St Thomas at Hereford Cathedral, which inspired the St Thomas Way pilgrimage.

The 1.5-mile circular route uncovers the medieval history of the city and explore some of its most famous landmarks including Swansea Castle, St Mary’s Church and the Cross Keys pub.

Matt Fox, CEO of Snaptrip Group, which owns Big Cottages says: “We know that long walks in awe-inspiring locations is a favourite activity of many of our customers and we wanted to enhance that experience for people further.

“As temperatures rise, days get longer and nature bursts back into life after a winter slumber, it’s the perfect opportunity to make time for yourself and loved ones, get out into nature and have fun while retracing the footsteps of many who came before.”

Lead image: Swansea Castle (Image: Wikimedia / Tiia Monto / Creative Commons)