About the author: David Angel, is a Welsh photographer, writer, and historian with 30+ years of experience, and previously Art Director for Visit Wales. His work is regularly featured in the BBC, the Guardian, and Condé Nast Traveler. He is fluent in English and Welsh.
Pilgrimages in Wales have been popular for a thousand years or more. Celtic Christianity flourished in the remote corners of Wales and after these Welsh saints died, pilgrims began to visit their shrines and pray to them.
Our guide to the pilgrimages of Wales takes you to seven destinations around the country. We visit St David’s Cathedral and Bardsey Island, and four other locations, from a remote hidden valley in the Berwyn Mountains to two significant Catholic shrines.
What is a pilgrimage?
In Christianity, a pilgrimage is a journey undertaken by someone to a place associated with certain religious figures, most notably saints.
This could be to the site of miracles or a journey to pray at the relics of a saint.
Both of these apply to the pilgrimages in Wales we describe below.
Some of these pilgrimages would have been undertaken for the purpose accruing spiritual benefits (in the eyes of God) or seeking a cure for an illness.
One of the most famous pilgrimages of the Middle Ages was the journey to Canterbury, documented in Geoffrey Chaucer’s epic Canterbury Tales.
After Henry VIII’s Dissolution (destruction) of the Monasteries and the Reformation, pilgrimages were discouraged and receded into history until relatively recent revivals.
Pilgrimages In Wales – North Wales
Bardsey Island – North Wales Pilgrims Way
Three pilgrimages to Bardsey were worth one to Rome
Why did pilgrims travel there?
Bardsey – Ynys Enlli in Welsh – is one of the most famous Welsh islands, a major pilgrimage destination during the Middle Ages when Pope Callixtus II declared that three journeys to Bardsey gained a pilgrim the same spiritual benefits as a single pilgrimage to Rome.
Bardsey is one of the most sacred sites in Wales. A monastery was founded on the island – off the south-western tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in North West Wales – in the 6th century AD, possibly by St Cadfan.
The monastery was later replaced by the 13th century Augustinian Abbey of St Mary, which survived until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537.
Bardsey Island has long been known as the Isle of 20,000 Saints – it’s certain that there probably weren’t that many saints buried on the island, rather thousands of monks who lived and worshipped on the island down the centuries.
What is there to see now?
If you manage to get to Bardsey (see below), you’ll see remains of the Abbey, including a much-photographed Celtic cross. There’s also a small 19th century Chapel close by.
Bardsey is also a well-known haven for wildlife, with a colony of around 200 Atlantic grey seals resident there.
Various seabirds also spend time there, including gannets, razorbills and puffins, and there is a colony of roughly 20,000 Manx shearwaters. These are largely nocturnal, so sightings are infrequent.
There is also a lighthouse on the flat part of the island, and some superb walks to enjoy.
The route to Bardsey is one of the easiest UK pilgrimage routes to follow, partly because of the preservation of so many pilgrim churches built along the route down the north coast of the Llŷn Peninsula.
It’s sometimes cheekily called the Welsh Camino, and it’s shorter, but no less spectacular, passing some of the finest landscapes in Wales and best beaches in North Wales en route.
The Pilgrims Way North Wales website has further information on a journey from Basingwerk Abbey (very close to Holywell, see below) to Aberdaron, the departure point for boats to Bardsey.
You can also buy the detailed guide book here.
How to get to Bardsey Island
You can walk nearly 200 miles across North Wales and still not reach your destination. Such is the pitfall of trying to visit Bardsey Island.
I have seen it from the mainland at least 50 times. I’ve flown over it and around it three times. I’ve had two boat trips there cancelled at the last minute. I have spent weeks on the Llŷn on standby, waiting for a break in the wind and weather to make a run for it. Yet after all this time I still have not set foot on Bardsey.
However you get to Aberdaron – be it by car or infrequent bus from Pwllheli up the coast – those last few miles can only be made by boat. Bardsey Boat Trips runs the service – carrying twelve people at a time – between March and November, weather permitting.
It’s known as Ynys Enlli – the Island of Currents – and Bardsey Sound, which separates the island from the mainland, is notorious for them.
St Winefride’s Well Holywell
The Lourdes of Wales
Why did pilgrims travel there?
The Holywell pilgrimage is one of the oldest continuous British pilgrimages, with visitors, and the coming to this fascinating site in North East Wales for over 900 years.
The waters of the Holy Well (and bathing pool) are believed to have miraculous curative properties – indeed the lady in the ticket office told us that she was the beneficiary of one of these miracles. Many others also claim to have been cured of illnesses there.
St Winefride (also spelt Winifred) was a Welsh martyr, believed to have been beheaded by a suitor whose advances she refused. According to legend, a well sprang on the spot where her head fell. Her head was later restored to her body by St Beuno, another early Welsh saint.
What Is There To See Now
The Holy Well is at the bottom of the hill below the village of Holywell (which is pronounced ‘holly-well’ and called Treffynnon in Welsh). You enter through a shop and ticket office with a strong whiff of incense.
From there, you pass the open-air bathing pool with its changing tents and approach the well, which is decorated with an ornate stone vault and a statue of St Winefride.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the site is the many graffiti messages on the walls. Some consist of initials and dates, while others offer testament to the cures the authors have experienced.
There is also a small Chapel just up the hill – you can get the key for a small deposit.
While in the area, try to make time to visit Chester Cathedral, one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the North of England. Indeed, there are plenty of things to do in Chester to warrant staying there a few days. It also makes an ideal starting point for exploring North East Wales.
How To Get To Holywell
Holywell is easy to reach by road, with both the main A55 North Wales Expressway and A548 coast road passing close by.
If you’re relying on public transport you’ll need to travel by bus. The nearest railway station is at Flint. 4 miles (6 km) away. Buses run from Chester via Flint, and also from Prestatyn. Services 11C, 11D, 11M, 11S, 18, 19 and 23 all stop across the street from the Well, at the St James Church stop.
St David’s Cathedral Pilgrimage
Head to the far west to the home of the patron saint of Wales
Why did pilgrims travel there?
Back in the Middle Ages, two pilgrimages to St David’s were deemed equal to one to Rome in terms of the spiritual benefits derived. St David’s was the most popular destination for pilgrimages in Wales, and still receives a good share of visitors.
The Cathedral was built on the site of the monastery founded by David (Dewi Sant) in the 6th century. Christian ascetics often sought out remote locations, and this secluded spot is in the far west of Wales suited St David’s purpose. It was then called Mynyw, Latinized to Menevia.
The likes of William the Conqueror, King Henry II and King Edward I all visited the shrine of St David at some point – although it was likely William was still doing a bit of conquering on the side.
What is there to see now?
St David’s – Tyddewi in Welsh – is the smallest of the seven cities in Wales, and it owes its status to its Cathedral, the largest and most impressive church in Wales. The Cathedral was built in the site of St David’s monastery, and is one of the great landmarks of Wales.
The Cathedral is set in a hollow in the valley of the river Alun – it was built there so that it couldn’t be seen from the sea by marauding Vikings. Sadly it didn’t stop them marauding there at least once.
Nonetheless, it is one of the great cathedrals of Britain, with a simple rough-hewn exterior and some astonishing decoration within.
The wooden nave roof is a breathtaking sight, as is the ornate stone vault of the central tower, by far the finest in Wales.
St David’s shrine can be found in a chapel behind the high altar. The chapel has changed significantly in recent years – the relics believed to be those of St David’s turned out to be the bones of someone who had died several centuries later, and the shrine has now been rebuilt.
There are plenty of other things to do in St Davids away from the Cathedral. St David’s Bishop’s Palace is an impressive medieval building reflecting the great wealth and prosperity of the bishops at a time pilgrimages would have been at their peak.
There are also several outstanding beaches in the St David’s Peninsula, especially Whitesands Bay and Caerfai Bay, both of which are close to the tiny city. The walk around the peninsula and St David’s Head is one of the best coastal walks in Wales.
A short walk west from Caerfai Bay ( or a mile-long drive from the city) leads to St Non’s Bay. It is named after St Non, mother of St David, who, like her son, is venerated across the Celtic world, including in Brittany.
How To Get To St David’s
St David’s is easily reached by car. It’s one of the longer day trips from Cardiff that I’d recommend, but the roads (M4, A40) are quick most of the way to Haverfordwest, from which the A487 runs a wonderful scenic route along the Pembrokeshire coast. It’s a two-hour drive from Cardiff.
The nearest the train will get you is Haverfordwest. Buses then call at the station before making the 16-mile (26 km) journey north to St David’s.
The train from Cardiff to Haverfordwest takes around three hours, and often involves a change at Carmarthen (the final destination of the Haverfordwest train is Milford Haven).
The T11 bus runs around ten times a day to St David’s, then continuing to Fishguard.
There isn’t any well-defined long-distance pilgrimage route to St David’s. The nearest thing to it is a walk on the fantastic Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which is now incorporated into the Wales Coast Path.
I’d recommend a 4-5 hour walk between Newgale beach and St Davids, turning off the path towards the city at Caerfai Bay. It’s a stunning coastal walk, circumventing the lovely Solva estuary along the way.
TIP: A new pilgrimage route, following in the footsteps of St Aidan of Ireland, has recently been introduced. He travelled from Ferns in what is now County Wexford to the coast before crossing the Irish Sea and making his way to St David’s.
The Wexford Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way traces this route, with a ferry crossing from Rosslare to Fishguard linking the two countries.
Pennant Melangell – Church of St Melangell
In the footsteps of the patron saint of hares
Why did pilgrims travel there?
Pilgrims still make the journey to this remote hillside hideaway to visit and pray at the shrine of St Melangell, an Irish-born saint who moved to this secluded valley to become a hermit in the 6th century AD.
The story goes that Melangell once encountered Brochwel, a Prince of Powys, out on a hunt near her refuge. She hid a hare in her cloak to protect it from the hunter, who was so impressed by this deed that he gave her the whole valley as a sanctuary.
Pilgrims came by many different routes, and Melangell is commemorated by the Pererindod Melangell walk, a 15-mile trail running from Pont Llogel (to the south), past Lake Vyrnwy to Pennant Melangell.
What is there to see now?
The church of Pennant Melangell is the only place in the UK where you can still see an intact saint’s shrine – with the likely original relics therein – other than Westminster Abbey, home to the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor.
The remote church dates from the 12th century, and is located within a circular churchyard believed to have been a Bronze Age burial site. There are several yew trees in the churchyard, some of which are around 2,000 years old.
St Melangell Church has undergone some restoration and changes since the 1980s, when I first visited this amazing place. These have been very much for the better.
The Shrine of St Melangell now stands within the main body of the church – it used to be in a separate room at the end of the church called ‘cell y bedd’, literally the ‘cell of the grave’.
Pennant Melangell is a remote hamlet in the gorgeous valley of the Afon Tanat, one of the most peaceful locations you’ll find in Wales (or anywhere else in Europe). It’s one of the most rewarding pilgrimages in Wales, for sure.
How To Get To Pennant Melangell
This is the one Welsh pilgrimage where you really do need a car.
The nearest train station is an hour away, across the English border in Oswestry. You can get from Oswestry to Llangynog, the nearest village to Pennant Melangell and back in a day, allowing you time to walk the two miles (3 km) and back to the church and have an hour or two there. That really would be dedication – probably more to the cause of public transport than to the saint.
By road, Pennant Melangell can be reached by two minor roads from Llangynog village, which is on the scenic B4391 which runs through the Berwyn Mountains to the Snowdonia National Park.
See Also: Wales Bucket List – 40 Of The Best Things To Do In Wales
Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff
Remarkable cathedral with the shrine of one of its early bishops, St Teilo
Why did pilgrims travel there?
Llandaff Cathedral’s origins go back to the sixth century AD, and two of its earliest bishops were noteworthy Celtic saints. Indeed, it is believed that both are buried there.
These saints are Dyfrig (often Latinized to Dubricius) and Teilo, and it is the latter who has been more widely venerated, and whose tomb attracted pilgrims to Llandaff down the centuries.
It’s one of the older UK pilgrimage sites, and Teilo was also venerated in Brittany, where he spent several years and two places there (Landeleau and Saint-Thelo) are named after him.
What Is There To See Now
Llandaff Cathedral is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Wales. The tombs of St Teilo (south side of sanctuary) and St Dyfrig (north side of chancel) are both still intact, but the church has undergone a number of rebuilds over the last millennium and a half.
The exterior of the church reflects this, with a fine 12th-century doorway, a 13th-century Gothic west front and a late 15th-century bell tower.
It’s even more diverse inside. The interior is dominated by Sir Jacob Epstein’s Majestas statue, mounted on an organ case on a parabolic arch. It still divides opinion, but I think it’s wonderful. It’s certainly unique.
Inside you’ll also find a 12th-century Romanesque arch, Gothic nave arches, a 19th-century triptych by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and an exquisite 14th-century Decorated Gothic Lady Chapel with beautifully painted panelling and vaults.
The Cathedral Green above the church is wonderfully peaceful, with the 13th-century ruin of the Bishop’s Palace a lovely spot to rest for a while, a couple of great cafes and a pub. The Bishop’s Palace is one of the least-known castles near Cardiff, but well worth a brief visit.
How To Get To Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is the easiest of our six pilgrimages in Wales, as it’s a short ride on the 25 bus from Cardiff city centre.
Otherwise trains stop at Llandaf station, which is confusingly in the adjacent suburb, Llandaff North. It’s a 1.6 km (1 mile) walk to the cathedral from there.
See Also: 20 Famous Landmarks In Cardiff To Explore
Our Lady of Penrhys Statue and Holy Well
Restored Roman Catholic statue and well destroyed on the orders of Henry VIII in 1538
Why did pilgrims travel there?
Penrhys, on a hilltop overlooking the Rhondda Fawr valley in South Wales, was a popular pilgrimage destination in medieval times.
Pilgrims came to pray and make offerings to a statue of the Virgin Mary and Child on the hillside, seeking healing in the waters of the holy well lower down the hillside.
Most pilgrims came from the South Wales region, but some also came from across the border in England. It was the most important Marian shrine in the region, and revenue from pilgrims helped the Abbey of Llantarnam, which owned the land at Penrhys.
The statue was taken to London, along with the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham (from Norfolk, England) and destroyed. The holy well fell into disrepair.
What Is There To See Now?
A statue of the Virgin and Child was erected on the site of the original Chapel in 1953, and it’s also possible to walk down to the small holy well of St Mary, around 200 metres down the hill (and signposted).
Both sites are close to the hilltop housing estate of Penrhys.
How To Get To Penrhys
Trains from Cardiff and Pontypridd call at Ystrad Rhondda (destination Treherbert). Buses 170 and 172 run up the hill to Penrhys from Ystrad (pronounced ‘us-trud’).
If you’re driving, take the main A470 road to Pontypridd, taking the A4058 exit towards the Rhondda. At Ystrad, take the sharp right B4512 turn up the hill to the roundabout at Penrhys, where you’ll find parking paces and the statue.
If you’d like to do the pilgrimage on foot, take a look at the Penrhys Pilgrimage website, which has a suggested two-day walking route from Llandaff Cathedral.
Pilgrimages In Wales – Final Words
I hope you’ve enjoyed my article on pilgrimages in Wales.
Most of these destinations are well off the beaten path, and this makes the journeys there all the more rewarding.
If you only have time to make one of these pilgrimages, I’d suggest visiting St David’s. You can include it on a short Pembrokeshire road trip, taking in some gorgeous Tenby beaches along the way.
If you can’t make it to Bardsey, you can visit other holy Welsh islands, including Caldey Island, just off the Pembrokeshire coast.
For further Wales inspiration, check out my ultimate Wales Bucket List, and my guide to the best seaside towns in Wales.
Pilgrimages in Wales
About the Author: David Angel, a Welsh photographer, writer, and historian, has over 30 years of experience exploring and photographing Wales. As former Art Director and Commissioning Editor for Visit Wales, he has explored every corner of this extraordinary country, climbed its mountains, and walked hundreds of miles along the breathtaking Welsh coastline and landscapes. He now uses a lifetime of experience to write comprehensive guides to help people like you discover and explore the best of Wales. He is a native English speaker and fluent in Welsh.