in the text. Henry V is reported to have made a pilgrimage from Shrewsbury to Holywell
as thanksgiving for victory at Agincourt. I'm not aware of any documentation
on the route his party took, but a suggestion visiting various churches and
wells en route is:
a) start at the Abbey church,
where there is a fragment of Winefride's original shrine, plus a modern commemorative
window (the monks pinched the relics from her original resting place at Gwytherin).
The road N from the abbey is called Holywell St.
b) take the Severn Way W to the late-medieval little half-timbered church
at Melverley (28km from Shrewsbury) - literally on the England/Wales border.
This is one of only 2 half-timbered churches in Shropshire; curiously, the
other is at Halston Hall, formerly the local headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller,
set up to help pilgrims.
c) lanes/paths N to St Winifred's Well at Woolston; this is supposed to have
been where the relic-stealers rested en route from Gwytherin to Shrewsbury
(10km from Melverley). According to Pevsner 'one of the most moving of the
holy wells in England'. The well building is now owned by the Landmark Trust, so you can rent
it for a holiday. There is a photo
at an unofficial guide to Landmark Trust sites.
d) W and N to Oswald's Well, on the W edge of Oswestry - appropriately enough,
near the waterworks (9km from Woolston)
e) W to Offa's Dyke National Trail, which follow N to the canal aqueduct.
The church in the village of Chirk (CPAT
- offroute to the E) is a medieval foundation, but with few remains, though
there is a heart shrine stone.
f) continue on the canal W to Llangollen. Cross the medieval bridge to the
church of St Collen (CPAT)
with its splendid hammerbeam roofs. Sadly, Collen's shrine was demolished
in the C18. 'For thee, Mary, heaven will be open every hour' reads an inscription
on the roof, but for visitors the church is only open summer afternoons (27km
from Oswestry)
g) return to the canal and head W to its end at the Horseshoe Falls, close
by the beautifully situated Llantysilio church (CPAT).
Set among ancient yews, with some medieval features, including a window of
St James.
h) take the path round to the much-visited Cistercian monastery ruins of Valle Crucis
- the Crux in question being the C9 one just to the N known as Eliseg's Pillar
(both CADW)
i) continue round the valley and rejoin Offa's Dyke Trail, and N on this
to Llandegla. The church (CPAT)
is of medieval origins, but virtually nothing remains of this - churchyard
is rather dull. Much more interesting is St Tecla's well with its truly extraordinary
ritual for curing epilepsy; the well is still honoured in a yearly service.
A footpath goes close to this, but ask permission at the farm to visit it
(18km from Llangollen)
j) when the Trail heads W, continue N to Llanarmon-yn-Iâl (CPAT).
'Armon' is St Germanus of Auxerre, and his shrine at the clas here was a
popular place of pilgrimage - why the church is comparatively large. The
sundial in the churchyard is on the base of an old cross (4km from Llandegla)
k) continue N again to Llanferres (CPAT)
with a curious lantern bellcote that the Denbigh brochure describes as 'jolly'.
Medieval origin, but Georgian/Victorian rebuild (6km from Llanarmon)
l) take paths NE to Loggerheads and
then the attractively wooded valley path to Cilcain (CPAT)
- medieval foundation with oval churchyard and another fine hammerbeam roof,
reputed to have come from Basingwerk abbey (8km from Llanferres)
m) paths N to Nannerch (CPAT
- Victorian, but in oval churchyard with ancient yews in a circle) (6km from Cilcain)
n) paths again N to Holywell, crossing the A55 on the bridleway bridge near
Smithy Gate. The Llyn-y-Mawn pub at Brynford just to the E claims to be descended from a medieval hostel; if true, it will certainly have been used by pilgrims. (9km from Nannerch)