Pilgrimage into the Past: Walking the Medieval March of Wales

In the late thirteenth century, an unlikely group of pilgrims set off from Swansea for the tomb of St Thomas Cantilupe at Hereford Cathedral. William de Briouze, the Anglo-Norman Lord of Gower, and his wife Lady Mary were accompanied by William Cragh - a Welsh outlaw who had attacked and burned their castle at Oystermouth and had been sentenced to death by hanging. But Cragh's execution had ended unexpectedly: the gallows broke, and he was later restored to life by St Thomas, a former bishop of Hereford. And now Cragh travelled together with Lord and Lady de Briouze to the tomb of this new saint to give thanks for what they understood as a miracle.

The hanging and revival of William Cragh was the focus of a recent AHRC-funded research project, 'City Witness: Place and Identity in Medieval Swansea', which used the story as a starting-point for exploring place, belief and identities in medieval Swansea and the March of Wales. Now, this project will use William Cragh's journey from Swansea to Hereford as inspiration for a new tourism route, giving visitors and local communities the opportunity to step into the rich medieval heritage of the region.

The hybrid driving-walking route will begin in Swansea, where Cragh was hanged, moving on to a series of medieval sites across the Wales-England border region - such as Neath Abbey, Patrishow Church and Goodrich Castle - which will allow us to tell a compelling story about Cragh, St Thomas and the medieval culture of the March of Wales. Mirroring the pilgrimage of Cragh and the de Briouzes, the route will end in Hereford, where the shrine of St Thomas still stands in the medieval cathedral, and other spectacular survivals, such as the Mappa Mundi and medieval books, offer glimpses of their world.

Centred on a partnership between the University of Southampton and Hereford Cathedral, the project will develop exciting, multi-media interpretation resources linked to an interactive online map, as well as a print guide / interpretation booklet. 2020 will see the 700th anniversary of the canonisation of St Thomas, and the new pilgrimage route will form a key element of its commemoration and celebration. Hereford Cathedral will provide in-kind support and use of archive resources (such as the spectacular Mappa Mundi and medieval books) to help enhance the core research produced by the 'City Witness' project.
Visitors exploring the new route - whether driving, walking, or participating 'virtually' via technology - will be able to engage with the multiple layers of heritage in the region, including:

*Immersive engagement with the William Cragh story, interpreted in stages along the route
*Accessible information about historical, cultural and political contexts in the medieval March of Wales
*Detail about St Thomas, his miracles, and the role of faith and popular devotion in medieval culture
*Encounters with historic medieval sites, including locations described by writers such as Gerald of Wales and Walter Map and in documents from Hereford Cathedral and the St Thomas canonisation archive
*Interpretation of the landscape and its cultural meaning
*Spiritual reflections (for participants with a religious faith), composed for each location by senior clergy at Hereford Cathedral
*Multi-media resources, including images, video and audio recordings (for example, the liturgy for St Thomas sung by Hereford Cathedral choir)

The Swansea-Hereford route project seeks to respond to specific needs and challenges identified during and after the 'City Witness' research project, and will bring a range of cultural, wellbeing and economic benefits to visitors and host communities in the region. In particular, it will fold Swansea city centre more firmly into heritage tourism routes in south Wales, increase visitors to Hereford and its cathedral, and develop the potential of small churches / chapels and local historic sites in the region as often under-exploited cultural and tourism assets.

This project will deliver a range of social, cultural and economic benefits to visitors and communities in the Wales-England border region. The key impact areas and strategies have been identified and developed through consultation with regional stakeholders and policies. The project will:

1. Increase awareness and appreciation of the rich medieval heritage of the March of Wales
2. Fold Swansea into wider heritage tourism routes in south Wales
3. Attract more visitors to Hereford and its cathedral; promote the 700th anniversary of St Thomas Cantilupe's canonisation in 2020 as a tourism event
4. Develop the potential of local churches / historic sites as cultural and tourism assets
5. Bring cultural, wellbeing and economic benefits to visitors and host communities

Small local churches and secular historic sites in the England-Wales border region are a huge heritage / tourism asset, but local communities often lack the infrastructure to promote them effectively. This project will link less-visited sites with well-known tourist locations, developing a coherent narrative and visitor experience to connect them, and providing imaginative interpretation and promotion. This will make a key intervention in tourism capacity-building in the region.

The Visit Wales Cultural Tourism Action Plan (2012) identifies 'religious tourism' as an area 'not currently being exploited to [its] full potential', targeting it as an area for growth. Research underpinning the Plan also highlights 'Sense of Place' as a key attraction for visitors to Wales, which should be developed further. The Wales Faith Tourism Action Plan (2013) sets out the ambition that 'by 2020 faith tourism is recognised as an integral component of the visitor experience in Wales, adding significant value to the destination offer, contributing to the well-being of the visitor and host community and enhancing local, regional and national "Sense of Place"'.

This project will develop the potential of the St Thomas pilgrimage and the rich medieval culture of Wales as a valuable tourism asset. This has demonstrable economic benefits: for example, a recent pilot project to promote 15 places of worship in the Wrexham area brought in 64,404 visitors over 3 years, bringing £1,683,521 to the local economy (Wales Faith Tourism Action Plan, p. 7).

A key target in the Herefordshire Tourism Strategy is the increase of overnight-stay visitors in the area. Currently, 83% of visitors are day visitors, while those who stay overnight in tourist accommodation (11.5%) contribute 64% of all visitor expenditure. We will work with Visit Herefordshire to promote overnight stays in the county.

The AHRC-funded 'City Witness' project which underpins this follow-on bid identified the need for the medieval heritage of Swansea to be marketed more visibly and linked more robustly into wider heritage tourism networks. In partnership with St Mary's, Swansea's civic church, and Swansea Museum, our new route will help to achieve this, further contributing to the economic and cultural regeneration of Swansea city centre.

The 700th anniversary of the canonisation of St Thomas in 2020 will present a powerful multiplier effect, with high-profile events and celebrations (and renewed promotion of the pilgrimage route) to be organised by Hereford Cathedral.

In our partnerships with small local churches and historic sites along the route, we will be responsive to local goals and will align with local tourism and economic priorities. Representatives of local sites will also act as 'Ambassadors', holding information and liaising with visitors. We will also approach Arriva Trains (which run a route from Swansea to Hereford) for support with publicity. We have established relationships with organisations including Hereford Cathedral, Visit Wales, Churches Tourism Network Wales, and Visit Herefordshire to help us deliver our impact plans, through in-kind funding and other support.