Below is a taste of our 2023 & 2021 pilgrimages and there are more details & photos in the journal.

July 2nd 2023 – Canoe pilgrimage – Dartmouth to Dittisham in collaboration with Hugh of Canoe Adventures and wild food forager, Myrtle Cooper, of Wild & Curious who guided us in experiencing a taste of the saltmarsh. We also had Tyler Freeman Smith as a special guest, following his own recent ‘sea to source’ pilgrimage, inspired by the Dart Atlantic Salmon. You can listen to his podcast about this here.

Aug 6th 2023 – Dittisham to Cornworthy in collaboration with Isabel Carlisle, co-founder and director of the Bioregional Learning Centre. She wrote: ‘On this walk we veer inland in order to follow the river as closely as possible. Our feet will rest on mudflats, saltmarsh, green footpaths and country lanes as we wend our way from churchyard to churchyard’

Sept 3rd 2023  – Cornworthy to Ashprington in collaboration with environmental social scientist, Dr Fiona Tilley, drawing on her work with Exeter University and Schumacher College. Tilley brought an exploration of animism with its sense of the sacred nature of all life to this pilgrimage.

Oct 1st 2023 – Ashprington to Totnes in collaboration with eco therapist and ‘forest bathing’ guide, Clare Coyne of Immerse in Nature. Clare wrote: ‘I am interested in pilgrimage as an opportunity to quietly cultivate intimacy: with ourselves; with each other; with our more-than-human family. So for me, walking among the trees during our watery-inclined wander is – to paraphrase John Muir – an invitation to come home.

Nov 5th 2023 – Totnes to Dartington in collaboration with Fiona Gibbon & Sim Taylor, as we reflected on the journey so far and prepared to continue upstream towards Dartmoor in 2024. Both Sim & Fiona have long experience as librarians, with Sim currently developing the libraries for Schumacher College and other aspects of the Dartington Trust. So they drew us into the wild library of land and water on the Dartington Estate, and after our pilgrimage, Sim offered an optional private visit to the Elmhirst library, which is not usually open to the public.

SACRED WATERS WAY 2021 – LAUNCH EVENT – Saturday 17th April & pilgrimages every first Sunday from May 2nd until December 5th.

Deep thanks to all collaborators and guests for creating a wonderful LAUNCH EVENT together on Saturday 17th April 2021 at St. Mary’s Church, Dartington. Our Sacred Waters Way monthly pilgrimages continued on the first Sunday of each month in 2021 from May 2nd, travelling in stages along the River Dart from Dartington to the sea… We hope to head back to the source on Dartmoor in 2023.

The ‘Sacred Waters Way’ is a new pilgrimage route, which we hope to develop as a self guided journey for all to explore. On our journey along the river, we are carrying with us the River Dart Charter in collaboration with The Bioregional Learning Centre to raise awareness about resilience, caring for the environment and with the hope of inspiring other communities along the way to develop their own River Dart charters to help create a river long Charter.

Saturday 17th April 2021 – Wild Spring – Pilgrimage Launch
In and around the home church of Wild Church at St. Mary’s Dartington. Watch our live stream here on our River Dart Wild Church facebook community page.

We started our year of pilgrimages with a creative afternoon of community celebration featuring sacred music and meditation, storytelling, taster talks, stalls and activities from our collaborators, including River Tales from DWT storyteller and author, Lisa Schneidau, graveyard foraging with Myrtle Cooper of Wild & Curious, nature connection with Emma Capper of Creative Journeys in Nature, poetry from Fire in the Head, short talks from the Bioregional Learning Centre, Devon Pilgrim and Wild Church and local produce & plants from Badger Crafts and the Mother Tree Nursery.

Then on the first Sunday of each month in 2021, as we followed the River Dart from Dartington to the sea.

1.Sunday 2nd May 2021 – Wild Maytide

The journey began with an afternoon pilgrimage to connect with the sacred centres of both the church and the River Dart on the Dartington Estate. Walking from St. Mary’s Dartington to the old St Mary’s Tower at the heart of the Esate. This event was offered in collaboration with local forager, Myrtle Cooper, of Wild & Curious who introduced us to some edible, wild delights and hidden waters along the way.

2.Sunday 6 June 2021 – Wild Elements

An afternoon pilgrimage, along the river from the ancient yew and old St Mary’s Tower at the sacred heart of the Dartington Estate, towards St. Mary’s Totnes with Sam (Founder of Wild Church) and Fr Jim (Totnes Team Rector) including elemental meditative practices along the way. Our afternoon ended with the option to join in the ancient service of Vespers to mark the setting of the sun, including sacred chant.

3.Sunday 4 July 2021 – Wild Summer

The journey continued as we wandered from the ancient Leechwell within sight of St. Mary’s, Totnes and then on along the river to St. David’s, Ashprington. This afternoon pilgrimage was offered in collaboration with ‘forest bathing’ guide, Emma Capper, of Creative Journeys in Nature. Emma introduced us to the nature connection ‘invitations’ of forest bathing along the shore and within the woods of the Sharpham Trust Estate.

4.Sunday 1st August 2021 – Wild Lammas

We celebrated Lammas and high summer on a special canoe pilgrimage with Canoe Adventures across the River Dart from Tuckenhay to the ancient yew and church of St Mary and St Gabriel at Stoke Gabriel. This full day event included both silence and shared reflection, with a ‘bring and share’ campfire picnic on the riverbank.

5.Sunday 5 September 2021 – Wild Autumn

‘Filling in the gaps’ on foot following our canoe pilgrimage, this half day walk took us from St David’s at Ashprington, to Bow Creek, through Tuckenhay and along the river to St. Peter’s at Cornworthy, and was guided by Isabel Carlisle. Isabel is co-founder of the Bioregional Learning Centre that is working for climate resilience in South Devon, initiated the Charter for the River Dart that gives the river moral rights, and is working with a team of climate and river scientists, artists and communities in the Dart valley on a water-saving project called Voices of the Dart.

6.Sunday 3rd October 2021 – Wild Harvest

A half day wander continuing the journey from Cornworthy to St. George’s at Dittisham. This pilgrimage was offered in collaboration with environmental social scientist, Dr Fiona Tilley, who guided us along the way and with the water, drawing inspiration from her experience of facilitating courses in contemporary indigenous ways at Schumacher College.

7.Sunday 7th November 2021 – Wild Saints

We planned to reflect on Remembrance, including Saints and All Souls with a special afternoon pilgrimage from Dittisham to St Thomas, Kingswear, in the company of local storyteller and artist, Helen Sands. Helen & Sam made a planning pilgrimage but sadly the public event had to be cancelled due to health issues.

8.Sunday 5 December – Wild Advent

The final stage of our journey to Dartmouth, bringing us to the sea and including a visit to St. Petrox Church which stands beside Dartmouth Castle, right on the river by the mouth of the Dart.