Water and Trees of Life: Wells to Glastonbury 2-Day pilgrimage

Enjoy a journey through the sacred landscape of Somerset, taking in the holy springs and ancient trees on the way from Wells to Glastonbury.

Guided by Laura Downer, founder of not-for-profit Positive Nature, and a Forest Bathing leader, and BPT Trustee Abigail Rowe. Sleep the traditional pilgrim way in communal Sanctuary spaces, or opt to book your own traditional accommodation nearby.

"Fantastic guiding, route and catering . Thanks so much for a wonderful and uplifting weekend" - Ed

Day 1: 6 miles, Wells to North Wootton

Our pilgrimage will start gently in the gardens of the Bishop’s Palace of Wells, with its beautiful trees, birdsong and water bubbling up from an underground river, a place of peace and for immersion in the beauty of nature. The pilgrimage takes its theme from an inscription from Revelation next to the well of St Andrew from which we will be given holy water to carry with us on our journey.

From there we make our way via the fountain in the town fed from the holy spring to the Cathedral Close to marvel at England’s first Gothic cathedral, built using sacred geometry as a representation of the New Jerusalem. After journeying up the nave and choir in this ancient building infused with prayer and symbolism, and visiting the exquisite canopy in stone in the Chapter House, a blessing in the Lady Chapel will set us on our way.

Our journey leads us through a pocket of woodland where we will stop to bathe in patterns of light amongst the peace of oak and beech trees gazing up at nature’s vaulting. From there we make our way up a hill to Worminster Down, in legend, once home to a dragon defeated by a Bishop of Wells. Dropping down through woodland, we reach our destination for the night, the village hall in North Wootton adjacent to the church of St Peter’s on the so-called Michael and Mary ley line, an alleged energy current linking holy sites from St Michael’s Mount and beyond in Cornwall through Glastonbury to Norfolk.

Day 2: 8 miles, North Wooton to Glastonbury

After visiting the church of St Peter, we will weave our way across the Somerset levels with its network of ditches in a landscape that was once submerged fenland with the mysterious tor reckoning across the waters, giving rise to the legend of Glastonbury as the Isle of Avalon of Arthurian legend. Nearing Glastonbury, we will visit Gog and Magog, two majestic, ancient oak trees, one burned, which may have marked the beginning of a Druid oak tree procession to the Tor.

From there, a steep climb will take us up to the top of the tor with its sweeping views and iconic St Michael’s tower, all that remains of the church which once stood there until the dissolution of the monasteries. Time permitting, we will visit the ancient church on Glastonbury’s High Street, dedicated to St John the Baptist, with a venerable history stretching back to a 10th century. From there we will move on to our destination, Glastonbury Abbey, with its association with St Joseph of Arimathea, St Dunstan and St Patrick who was said to have visited in 443. Here we will visit a grafted living version of Glastonbury’s original sacred thorn tree, the Abbey ruins and site of the tomb of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. Those who wish (subject to the Abbey’s permission) can join in a short, simple choral round in keeping with the Abbey in the intact kitchen to experience its extraordinary acoustics. The focal point of our visit will be a short time of reflection in the Lady Chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, for centuries a place of reverential payer, and the crypt below with the adjacent holy well of St Jospeh of Arimathea. Our pilgrimage will finish with a visit to St Margaret’s Chapel once serving a pilgrims’ hospital built by the Abbey converted to alms houses. Here in this space of immense peace, we will relight candles from our visit to Wells Cathedral to mark the end of the pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage Leaders
The pilgrimage will be led by Laura Downer, founder of not-for-profit Positive Nature, and a Forest Bathing leader, and BPT Trustee Abigail Rowe.

"What a beautiful weekend we had. Thank you everyone for your fellowship, and special thanks to Laura and Abigail for guiding us so well, and catering for our every need, physical and spiritual." - Susanna

What is Included:

Admission tickets to Wells Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey worth £32

Evening meal, breakfast and lunch for Day 2

Baggage transfers

Sanctuary Accommodation including bedroll, unless you prefer to book your own accommodation

Fully guided experience, including:
- Short periods of slow, immersive, sensory experience of nature
- Experiential emphasis on the sacred spaces
- One or two blessings, poems or short readings along the way
- Invited pockets of silence – otherwise convivial company along the way

Transport Arrangements
There is no train station in Wells, but you can catch connecting buses from Bath, Bristol, Taunton and other places. Join the WhatsApp group to coordinate lift shares with other pilgrims.
Parking in Wells: There are a range of long stay car parking options including via Just Park 2-day parking in Morrisons car park where we meet to transfer bags (100 spaces; prices from £4).
Onward Travel: Buses can connect you to train stations at Bristol, Taunton and other places. To return to Wells there is an hourly Sunday bus for a 15 minute journey or pilgrims can opt to share a taxi (cost not included).

Accommodation:
Stay with the group in Sanctuary, a traditional way for pilgrims to sleep in communal spaces. Alternatively secure your own rooms nearby, with plenty of traditional providers in the village or a short taxi journey away.
Sanctuary: North Wootton Village Hall is a  beautiful small village hall with toilets and handbasins. Sleeping bags, air pillows and self inflating sleeping mats provided by the British Pilgrimage Trust - let us know if you would prefer to bring your own.
Traditional accommodation: The nearest option is the Crossways, or try Spindlewood. There are a number of AirBnb's within a short taxi ride, or low cost rooms in Wells, Shepton Mallet and Glastonbury.  There is also a campsite, (we can only transfer small backpack sized tents with our baggage transfer). Please note that we cannot take responsibility for any issues with self-booked accommodation, including refunds in the event of a cancellation. If you book your own room you are fully responsible for all accommodation and transfer costs.

Food:
Please bring your own packed lunch for Saturday and snacks for both days. We will provide an evening preprepared meal, breakfast and provisions to make a picnic for day 2. Let us know if have any special dietary requirements during booking.

What to wear/bring:
Comfortable, robust walking footwear, Long trousers or zip-offs and something with sleeves for the path down through the wood on day 1.
Waterproofs and suitable clothing for the weather including sun hat and sun cream
Packed lunch and Water bottles (1 litre minimum recommended), plus snacks for both days
Day bag to carry with you for carrying waterproofs, fleece/jumper, water, snacks and picnic etc
Overnight bag which can be given to our team at the beginning to take to the village hall and back to the start.

FAQ’s

Toilet Facilities - There are toilets at the beginning and end of each day, and we know some good spots for a “wild wee”. Please bring anything you might need for calls of nature.

Who can come? Anyone over 18 (or under 18 with parental guidance, bearing in mind the walking distance).

Is this religious? This is a faith-neutral pilgrimage including a variety of traditions and practices. We operate a “Bring Your Own Beliefs” policy, where pilgrims can choose when to engage and participate. We ask that all pilgrims respect one another, whatever their beliefs.

Will I be asked to share my feelings with the group? We like to keep things light and breezy, so there will be no group emotional sharing moments, even though people may be coming for emotional reasons. If you want to share your feelings in personal conversation when walking with others that is up to you, but certainly not compulsory.

Are there fitness or access limitations? Footpaths, tracks with one or more stiles and some quiet, minor roads with no pavements; short stretch on pavement along main roads. The terrain includes a steep hill up to Worminster Down and down a rough footpath through woodland to North Wootton and a very steep hill up to Glastonbury Tor with the option to walk on grass or a concrete path. The route is otherwise fairly flat. Unfortunately due to the terrain this route is not suitable for people with mobility impairments, but if you have a different access need please contact us so we can discuss the best way to meet your specific requirements.

Can I bring my dog? Sadly not - we can’t accommodate dogs on our guided pilgrimages. However, if you have a registered assistance dog, they are welcome.

Do you offer concessions? We offer some discounted places to pilgrims on certain types of income-related Universal Credit, PIP, DLA ESA , JSA etc. Contact us to find out if you qualify.

What does the price cover? This pilgrimage is a fundraiser for registered charity British Pilgrimage Trust. 20% of the ticket fee is VAT. 10% of funds raised are donated to the places we visit along the route. Around 50% of your ticket covers the costs of providing the journey, including research and route surveys. Any remaining funds support our charitable work including thousands for free resources to enable people to make their own journeys. For more details about our charitable activities, please check here.

What is your refund policy? See our full policy on cancellations, postponements and ticket transfers here: https://www.britishpilgrimage.org/resources/guided-pilgrimage-refund-policy

If you would like to make a donation to support a place for someone on low income, please click here.

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