Pilgrim Ways: Nottingham Cathedral
Nottingham Cathedral features in a new collection of Catholic walking pilgrimages, entitled ‘Hearts in Search of God.’
This three year project aims to map out 22 pilgrimages, starting from each Catholic Cathedral in England and Wales, before going on to at least one of the local shrines. The routes are off-road as much as possible and incorporate existing pilgrim routes and long-distance footpaths. Project organiser, retired GP Dr Phil McCarthy, hopes that these ‘new Pilgrim Ways will be an opportunity for Christians to deepen their faith, but also for people of all faiths and none to experience a pilgrimage in a Catholic context and with the minimum of financial and environmental cost.’
The ‘Pilgrim Way’ for the Diocese of Nottingham is called 'The Way of Blessed Cyprian Tansi'. It begins at the Cathedral of St Barnabas and finishes at the Shrine of Blessed Cyprian Tansi at Mount St Bernard Monastery near Coalville. It’s 25 miles of easy walking, much of it along canals and rivers. Kegworth would be a natural overnight stop if the Way is walked over two days. The proposed Nottingham route is as follows:
“The Way takes a south eastern direction through the City centre passing the site of Nottingham Castle, to reach the Robin Hood Way which follows the Beeston Canal west and then south west out of the City. The canal is crossed at a lock to follow the northside of the River Trent along the Trent Valley Way. At Trent Lock the path crosses the Erewash Canal and continues west until the Trent is crossed by a railway bridge.
The route then follows the Midshires Way south east to reach and follow the River Soar to reach Kegworth and then Zouch where the River is crossed. The Way passes through Hathern and crosses the M1 Motorway to reach the Church of St Winefride in Shepshed. After leaving the town the route crosses farmland to reach the Abbey of Mount St Bernard and the Shrine of Blessed Cyprian Tansi”
The Nottingham Pilgrim Way is currently only available in GPX file, which you can download from the Pilgrim Ways website. The project organiser intends to walk this ‘Way’ over the next three years and then more resources and walking guidance will be provided. In the meantime he would be grateful for feedback on the route, if anyone is bold enough to walk it!
