Journeying | Pilgrimage Holidays | Christian Walking Holidays | Christian Short Breaks

A few years ago, Journeying leader Paul Heppleston did some really wild walking alone in Greenland; “I went there asking God to be with me in this strange and possibly dangerous landscape, praying that I would always be totally open to whatever he wanted to show me of his wonder.” Paul writes… There are three occasions that remain firmly in my memory from my time in West Greenland. The shapes The first occasion God spoke was when I was on a long coastal walk, making my way along a recognised trail which ran from the very remote village where I was staying, southwards to the nearest town. I went at my own pace, alone. It was a strange area to me…

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St Aidan’s Way follows in the footsteps of St Aidan’s sixth century journey from Ferns in Ireland to meet his teacher and mentor, St David, in Wales. The impact of the meeting between these two famous Celtic saints was felt far and wide across Ireland, Wales and beyond, leading to the establishment of new churches and monasteries and a flourishing of Celtic culture in the Age of the Saints. The length of the trail is nearly 100km winding through County Wexford from Ferns to Rosslare, where he would have crossed over the Irish Sea to Fishguard in Pembrokeshire. However our holiday offered the highlights of the route, allowing us to enjoy the best stretches of walking which are off the…

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We had a wonderful journey to Caldey Island in June. After assembling in the picture-postcard town of Tenby we travelled by boat for twenty minutes over to Caldey. It is one of Britain's Holy Islands and has been the home to monks since the sixth century. The current Cistercian Abbey has seven monks and we joined with them in some of their daily services. The island is known for its peace and tranquility, along with empty beaches, peaceful woodland walks and spectacular cliffs teeming with sea birds above seals bobbing in the waves below. The monks also oversee the production of chocolate and fudge on the island. Much was bought by members of the group as gifts for friends…

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On a Saturday in May six pilgrims gathered in Tenby, ready to explore the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside. Following an evening meal together we walked down to the harbour and shared evening prayer on the harbour beach. A great start to the week! Sunday saw us walking on the coast path to the nearby village of Penally, with a wonderful view of Caldey Island, to where we would be travelling the following day. The weather was lovely and we hoped it would continue so that we could make the crossing to Caldey. Monday dawned bright but breezy and we made our way to the boat for Caldey. What is normally a 20-minute journey became twice that length due to prevailing winds,…

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On a lovely sunny day seven pilgrims gathered in Criccieth for the start of a week exploring the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales. On our first day we caught two local buses to Morfa Nefyn and walked by one of the most scenic golf courses in the world, each hole having a view of the sea. Porth Dinllaen is a unique seaport with quite a history, having once been considered for the main ferry port for Ireland. Today it has the famous Coch Inn pub on the beach. where a welcome glass of something cold was enjoyed! We then followed the coast path around Trwyn Porth Dinllaen before heading back to catch our bus to Criccieth. The following day was spent walking…

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Out there, on the horizon, Islands beckon, they always do, even on seemingly uninviting, wet, murky days. There’s something mysterious and enchanting about an island, something to be discovered... And getting there is always such an adventure! There’s a spiritual pull too. These are places on the edge, distant from the mainland, where creation is raw and the gap between heaven and earth can seem wonderfully thin. Around the coast and in the inland waters of Britain and Ireland, islands gently, sometimes abruptly as though thrusting towards a glorious new day, rise above the waterline in numbers. Mostly off the west and northern coasts, but with a good number to the east and south as well, and right across the…

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Climbing the steep and on this day, wet and slippery track towards the ridge of the valley, the views often obscured by dense foliage at other times of the year, opened out before us. Below - a long way below – the ruins of magnificent Tintern Abbey beside the river Wye provided the centre piece, though even this glory dwarfed by the high wooded hills all around. The weather was good; crisp, bright and sunny with just a hint of frost remaining by midday in the more shaded parts. Along the Way we stopped every so often to hear a short reflection, each time drawing us back to our pilgrim purpose. God is always with us and wants us to be…

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The winner of Journeying's 2022 poetry competition, Wendy Stickley, sent us the wonderful poem below. If you feel you would like to experience what she did, we will be visiting Mull and Iona in 2025. To discover more please visit the ‘Journeys 2025’ page. Iona I stepped where St Columba might have trod and worn a path towards a sandy bay; where he, too, might have paused and looked in wonder before continuing along his way. I saw the spouting cave he might have known, leant into winds he also would have battled, I smelled the seaweed, thick upon the strand, and heard faint lowing from the highland cattle. I crossed the shell-fragmented, ancient machair, past lakes and thickets to a pebble beach, imagining the great man’s humble presence, the privilege of…

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