Cotswolds / Oxon / Glocs Set up in 2021, the group has organised many trips, including walks around Chipping Campden and Longborough as well as talks on pilgrimage in Gloucester, with many more planned! Fiona is very happy to give practical pilgrims support and welcomes both CSJ members and non-members from other regional groups! Group Leader: Fiona Busbridge Email Fiona to find out more Upcoming Events Join us for a pilgrimage from Pershore Abbey to Worcester Cathedral on Thursday, 18th June; 12 miles approx. On Thursday, 9th July, we will visit the church of St. James the Great in and then enjoy a circular walk round Dursley, Uley and Owlpen with a picnic. Please contact Fiona if you would like to join either outing. Recent Events On Wednesday, 20th May, 15 members of the Cotswolds & Oxon RG gathered at All Saints, Selsley near Stroud, a famous Arts & Crafts church designed by Bodley with important glass by William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites. We were very lucky to be given an informative talk by Mrs Jane Ford and a thoughtful pilgrim blessing by Rev Ann McKenzie. In the bright sunshine, the stained glass looked magnificent! After an excellent lunch at The Bell, we set forth to climb onto Selsley Common with its fine panoramic views before descending into beautiful beech woodland to pick up the Cotswold Way which lead us back to the church. Everyone agreed it had been a most enjoyable day. In April we met at an interesting church of St. James in Stonesfield, Witney before following a short circular walk ahead of a stop for lunch at the White Horse. There was an additional optional circular walk in the afternoon. On Saturday, 24th January a select pilgrim group met to hear Ernest Nelson give a fascinating account of his 1973 pilgrimage in Poland Behind the Iron Curtain, from Berlin, 4 weeks through remote areas of Poland to the Shrine of the Black Madonna at Jasna Góra Monastery at Czestochowa. The only non-Catholic in a group of 40+ young people accompanied by only one Polish speaker, he was one of those deputed to drive the ex Post Office yellow van, carrying supplies, and was stopped by Polish SS who temporarily confiscated all the walkers’ passports and thereafter dogged their every movement! Other transport consisted almost solely of horse and cart or bicycle, both of which the pilgrims gladly used, and Ernest described how at every village, the communities came out to meet the pilgrims, offering them bread and salt as tokens of friendship and welcome. What a life-changing experience which we felt privileged to hear about! 2025 Events St Kenelm's Well: Our pilgrimage took us past Sudeley Castle, climbing gently up to St. Kenelm’s Well through lovely Cotswold farmland. Although the well house is from the 9th century, the ancient spring dates from the 9th century, when the monks bearing the body of the martyred boy-king Kenelm, rested on their way to Winchcombe Abbey. We, too, rested there before ascending the escarpment, enjoying good fellowship, picnics and classic Cotswold views before returning to Winchcombe. Despite the heavy shower later on, everyone declared it an excellent expedition, concluding for several in the White Hart! Dorchester Abbey: We were given an excellent talk and tour by Mike Sibly CSJ and one of the Abbey’s churchwardens, before being welcomed to the Abbey’s Tuesday coffee morning on Saturday 14 June. Thereafter, we visited St. Birinus, a tiny C19th gem, where Fr. John Osman welcomed us and talked about the saint, local recusancy and the church’s history - all fascinating. After an excellent pub lunch, most of the group braved the heat to climb up the Clumps: two small hills with spectacular views over the Thames and a cooling breeze! A great day out involving history, culture, a good walk and conversation. Our thanks to Mike for his valuable input to the day. The Rissingtons: It was a fine day for our circular walk round three iconic Cotswold villages, visiting their interesting medieval churches, including the tiny St. James, Clapton-on-the-Hill, an ancient Chapel of Ease seating only 45! Beautiful countryside, excellent company and a picnic - what more could one wish for?! Wye Pilgrimage: On Maundy Thursday, 8 of us met to make our Wye Pilgrimage in glorious sunshine - a far cry from February’s wet, muddy outing on Cleeve Hill! Walking through beautiful Herefordshire countryside, our walk included 4 interesting churches, including the spectacular Italianate St. Catherine’s, Hoarwithy, as well as a Victorian suspension bridge, installed by the vicar of Sellack and King’s Caple, thus enable him to cross the Wye from one parish to the other without troubling the recalcitrant boatman! We also enjoyed a good pub lunch en route which fortified us for the return. A most enjoyable way to spend the day, we all agreed! Cleeve Hill: On a dismal February Saturday. six intrepid pilgrims plus Alex, the dog, met for a wet and muddy walk on Cleeve Hill. Fortified by coffee in the Golf Club, we set out, making for the trig point and topograph which marks the highest point on the Cotswold Way. However, as we were in the cloud, we could have been anywhere! Undeterred by the rain and mud, we pressed on for a good walk, and were rewarded by lunch back at the Golf Club, and convivial chat. “A good outing, despite the weather,” we all agreed! See our 2024 Year in Review: csjrgayearinpictures2024.pdf Manage Cookie Preferences