A new sequence of our Wild Church ‘sea to source’ pilgrimages along the River Dart begins on Saturday 4th April, with a circular walk around Dartmouth and Kingswear. (As shown in the photo here, from a previous pilgrimage). This will be an emergent, exploratory walk, starting at 10am and with no fixed ending time… it is likely to last all day and yet pilgrims can quietly depart at any point. Contact Sam to book.
I (Sam) am delighted to be joined this year by a new Wild Church collaborator, Jamie Emmerson. I first met Jamie during his own long, ‘coast to coast’ pilgrimage, as he was walking along the Dart. We shared a pint beside the river and bonded over all things river, pilgrimage and deep ecology related. Jamie, as pictured below with his great grandfather’s pipe, has since started doctoral research into the traumatic impact of colonisation and also become a much appreciated member of our virtual Wild Monastery.
Once again this year, we are dedicating all our pilgrimages to peace making. Jamie’s research is concerned with ecological peacebuilding and relational healing, following the relational ruptures with land and the communal fragmentation caused by colonial trauma. So guiding our first pilgrimage together promises to be full of interest and depth.
This particular pilgrimage is the first stage of our ‘Salmon and Saltmarsh’ route and we start by the sea, where the salmon come into (and leave) the mouth of the river, at Sugary Cove. From there we will wend our way along the Dart estuary through Dartmouth, across to Kingswear, and then back in a long, slow circle to our starting point. Along the Way, between stretches of simple, silent walking, we will have some pauses at significant sites, during which we will touch into some of the fascinating pilgrimage history of this particular stretch of land and water.
This moves from the ancient journeys of salmon and water itself, through a Celtic pilgrimage site, to glimpses of medieval pilgrims and beyond. Woven through will be an exploration of issues of power, colonisation and relationship to place, held within the overall intention to be peace pilgrims during this time of global conflicts.
For more details & bookings, please contact Sam. We have consciously chosen not to use automated online booking systems but instead to be based in relational exchange. Each pilgrimage is limited to 12 participants and is offered on a donation basis, on a suggested sliding scale of £60/£40/£20. Pilgrims need to come prepared for all weathers and bring water, snacks & a packed lunch, and this particular pilgrimage also includes two ferry crossings, which pilgrims will need to pay for themselves (cash or contactless). Final details, including start point etc will come out to pilgrims who have booked with Sam and confirmed with a donation. Thanks!
This is the first in a series of eight ‘sea to source’ pilgrimages along the River Dart this year – more details of the 2026 route are here.
