Walking and Cycling the Gower Pilgrimage Way

Mar 22

The Gower peninsula is not only the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) but is a lived in community with a history of Christian worship going back over 1,500 years. Some of its churches are over 800 years old and as well as having a religious and spiritual significance, are architectural, historical and artistic gems.

From September this year, the Gower Pilgrimage Way will link all seventeen of Gower’s historic churches, chapels and other Christian and sites of Celtic worship via a 50-mile walking and cycling route.

The route takes in existing Public Rights of Way and sections of the wonderful Wales Coast Path www.walescoastpath.gov.uk and will be split into five sections of around 10 miles each, starting in Penclawdd in the NE of the peninsula and ending in Bishopston in the SE.

The Gower Pilgrimage Way invites walkers and cyclists to engage with the rich heritage of the Gower peninsula as well as being the catalyst for physical exercise and metal well-being.

Between 11th -16th September, 2022, this project will launch with a Pilgrimage Festival Week which includes a guided walk each day, open access to all the churches, and refreshments along the way. Visitors can walk and cycle a section of the route every day to the church pf their choice where every evening or service or celebration will round the day off. Activities include a talk, or Celtic-style worship or a bilingual Cymanfa Ganu (Singing Festival).

As you’d expect on great pilgrim routes of the world such as Santiago de Compostello in Spain, Gower pilgrims will be issued with ‘Pilgrim Passports’ stamped at each church to mark the visit.

Early September is a wonderful time of year to spend on the Gower peninsula and Bayview invites you to let this fantastic new project be the impetus you need to book a stay with us in one of our Gower holiday cottages or apartments.

To discuss your holiday accommodation with us here in Oxwich, please contact Wanda and the team at Bayview who’ll be happy to help.

To find out more about the Gower Pilgrimage Way, details of the routes for walkers and cyclists, maps, and transport details, please visit www.gowerma.org/gower-pilgrimage-way .

To find more details of Gower’s 17 churches, please click on the links below.

1: St Teilo’s, Bishopston SA3 3JT

2: St Mary’s, Pennard SA3 2EA

3: St Illtyd’s, Ilston SA3 7LD

4: St John the Baptist, Penmaen SA3 2HQ

5: St Nicholas, Nicholaston SA3 2HL

6: St Illtyd’s, Oxwich SA3 1LS

7: St Andrews, Penrice SA3 1LN

8: St George’s Reynoldston SA3 1AA

9: St David’s Llanddewi SA3 1AU

10: St Cattwg’s, Port Eynon SA3 1NL

11: St Mary’s, Rhossili SA3 1PL