Group leader: Annie Sparkes

The Bristol Group is one of our more active groups, who organise local walks, online quizzes, Practical Pilgrim Days and St James Day celebrations!

Past Events:

On 28 March the much postponed Biddestone Heritage Trail walk was finally enjoyed by 10 members of the Bristol & Wiltshire Groups.  This photo was taken at the start of the walk at the 1870 village pump - mains water didn't reach the village until 1955.  We passed through two St Nicholas churches, the first of Norman origin but much altered after several rebuilds.  The second St Nicholas church near Slaughterford was wrecked by Cromwell's troops and lay in ruins for 200 years before being rebuilt in 1823.  We had lunch in the sun (interrupted by 10 minutes of hail) outside The White Heart at Ford, a 16th century coaching inn, before making our way back to Biddestone by a different route.

August 2023:

The Bristol & SW Regional Group had a wonderful pre St James' Day celebration on Sunday 23 July 2023.  A group of 12 gathered for lunch at the Ring O'Bells pub in Hinton Blewett and then set off for a short walk over the green hills of Somerset in surprisingly good weather - the cows in the fields were not at all interested in a bunch of pilgrims wandering through their territory.  We arrived somewhat early at the 12th century church of St James in Cameley, described by John Betjeman as "Rip Van Winkle's church".  Although it is a redundant church it is a Grade 1 listed building and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It has fragments of walls paintings and has links to the Knights Templar.  In celebration of St James the church held a beautiful prayer and choral service.  A most successful day out.

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Group leader Annie was very pleased to make a formal presentation of certificates and shell brooches to three friends who had walked the old salt route from Droitwich to Bristol on 20th October 2021.  In Worcester Cathedral they were able to view the boots and staff of the 15th century pilgrim unearthed in 1986. Their walk ended in Pill where, in March 1428, 80 pilgrims departed for Santiago de Compostela. However, the memorial stone where the trio are standing records the 2 Methodist preachers who in 1771 (Francis Asbury) and 1784 (Thomas Coke) sailed to America and became the first superintendents of the Methodist Church in America. They were formally given the title of Bishop in 1787. But the three events are linked by the stained glass window in Christ Church Pill which depicts St James standing above the USA’s National Symbol. The trio and myself were welcomed by the Church Warden and ladies of Christ Church Pill who laid on a lovely lunch. 

Email Annie here.