A thousand years ago, and more, people mostly took their holidays on a pilgrimage to some relics of a saint. They walked because there were few alternatives. Although the Church distributed relics across the land, some proved more effective than others and drew larger crowds. In England, the most famous sites of pilgrimage are Durham Cathedral (St Cuthbert’s shrine), Winchester Cathedral (the shrine of St Swithun) and Canterbury Cathedral (the former site of St Thomas Becket’s shrine/tomb, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”). A typical pilgrimage lasted for a few fun packed days.

Those seeking adventures further afield were drawn to the three great Christian pilgrimage destinations of Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem. It was a perilous journey and many were never seen again. The Reformation came as a relief; pilgrimage was discouraged and people took to worshipping the sun instead.

But just when you’d least expect it, pilgrimage is back on everybody’s bucket list. Nowadays, St James is the big celebrity and ancient caminos across Europe are once more alive with the trampling of pilgrims bound for Santiago de Compostela. And then, of course, there is Rome…

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