Significant investment hopes for The Welsh Camino

Plans to develop the North Wales Pilgrims Way, known as “The Welsh Camino”, have been given a significant boost with the awarding of a £78,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

A Pilgrimage Development Project Lead will be appointed to explore the potential for growth in the number of people walking the 130-mile route, which passes historic churches, sacred wells and ancient places of spiritual significance.

The new role will look at how the infrastructure along the route can be improved to provide suitable pilgrim accommodation, better transport links and investment to promote Welsh language, culture and heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage.

The North Wales Pilgrims Ways starts at Basingwerk Abbey close to St Winefried’s Well in Holywell and ends in Aberdaron with a boat trip across the Ynys Enlli/Bardsey Island. It passes through some of North Wales’ most stunning scenery and well-known landmarks, including St Asaph Cathedral, the ancient Yew Tree at Llangernyw, Aber Falls, Eryri and the Llyn Peninsula.

The Heritage Fund grant has been awarded to the Diocese of St Asaph which will employ the Project Lead. Sarah Wheat, the Engagement Officer for the diocese said: “There has been a significant rise in interest in the experience of pilgrimage, with many people keen to undertake The Welsh Camino. Yet there is little in the way of infrastructure, such as accommodation for pilgrims along the route or public transport. We’d like to explore how local churches could assist with offering shelter and hospitality to pilgrims and consider how we can showcase more of Wales’ heritage, culture, language and spirituality.

“By bringing together local churches, businesses, accommodation providers and key stakeholders we think we can improve the pilgrimage and tourist experience and attract much needed investment into the area.”

The North Wales Pilgrims Way was launched in 2011 by a team of volunteers. In recent years it has gained international recognition and a strong following in the USA. It was recently highlighted in the renowned USA Afar travel magazine based in New York and San Francisco as “one of the best underrated places in the world to visit in 2025”. Last year, the BBC Two programme, Pilgrimage, saw a group of celebrity pilgrims follow the North Wales route. You can find out more at https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2024/pilgrimage-north-wales

Details of the Project Lead role are now available at https://dioceseofstasaph.org.uk/jobs/ and on the North Wales Pilgrims Way website at https://pilgrims-way-north-wales.org/index.html