Guy Hayward recommends a watery walk

This pilgrimage seeks to refresh our relationship with the wild waters of Britain – to honour and encounter the water that surrounds us within and without. This pilgrimage starts at one of Britain’s most famous natural springs – the health-giving spa of Aquae Sulis, which today takes the form of a rooftop spa overlooking Bath Abbey – sacred to the Celts, Romans, Georgians, and everyone in between.

You will travel via waterways such as the Rivers Frome and Avon, the Mells Stream, wild swimming weirs, and other sacred springs and wells in the towns of Frome, Doulting and the city of Wells. England’s smallest city is appropriately named after the enormous holy wells in the Bishop’s Palace Gardens, coming from an underground river that can be seen from the cloisters of Wells Cathedral itself.

However, the destination of Glastonbury gives perhaps the most elemental of water experiences in the crashing White Spring and its immersion pools right under Glastonbury Tor (make sure you arrive during the limited opening hours), and the more peaceful Chalice Well in the World Peace Garden.

By making this pilgrimage you will find your way of approaching these sacred water sources. You can engage with them by wild swimming in weirs, under aqueducts and in the confluence of rivers, fording ancient fords, seeking lost holy wells, and drinking wild water from a variety of natural springs (can you taste the difference?). You can drink wild water if you use a safe water filter, like one from brands Grayl or MSR, and perhaps fill a special bottle with this water which you can then share with every other water source or font along the way.

Highlights

• Reengages you with the life-giving element of water
• Heals you in sacred springs
• Potent, hearty landscape
• Deep integration of Christian and Pagan

Route

Bath – Frome – Doulting – Wells – Glastonbury. 55 miles, six days.

From Britain’s Pilgrim Places by Guy Hayward and Nick Mayhew-Smith. For more information on this route, go to the British Pilgrimage Trust.

Guy is our guest at A Drink with the Idler, Thursday 8 June, 6pm.

Our May/June issue is available in bookshops as well as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, WHSmiths, Booth’s and Easons.