The Bristol to Nailsea Leg
Phil McCarthy • June 30, 2026
A Pilgrimage to commemorate the Year of St Francis of Assisi
Saturday 3rd October 2026
The way is mostly along public footpaths, but several busy roads must be crossed. There are gentle hills. Some sections may be muddy.
The planned route leaves Clifton Cathedral and crosses the Suspension Bridge to reach Ashton Court. There is a cafe and toilets at the Activity Centre. The Way passes the Abbot's Pool and then follows the Gordano Round path across quiet countryside.
The busy B 3128 will be crossed with great care to skirt the Tyntesfield National Trust Estate. The Way passes Wraxall and then crosses farmland to reach the Nailsea Round path. Finally there is a section through the outskirts of Nailsea to reach the church.
Planned timetable (NB timings may have to be changed
10.30 Gather at Clifton Cathedral for prayers followed by a health and safety briefing
10.45 Set off
11.30 Pass the cafe and toilets in Ashton Court
13.00 Lunch near Failand Cricket Club ground
13.45 Set off
14.30 Skirt the Tyntesfield estate
15.00 Set off
16.30 Arrive at the Church of St Francis of Assisi, Nailsea
Refreshments and the opportunity to use the toilets
17.15 Those who wish can finish their pilgrimage
18.00 Vigil Mass for the Feast of the St Francis of Assisi
There are good public transport links back to Bristol, for example:
- There are trains from Nailsea & Backwell station to Clifton Down station at 16.29 and 17.29. Nailsea & Backwell station is about 15 minutes walk from the Church of St Francis of Assisi. Clifton Cathedral is 12 minutes walk from Clifton Down station.
- There are trains to Bristol Temple Meads from Nailsea & Backwell at 16.29, 17.06, 17.29 & 18.06
- There is an X9 bus at 17.05 from Perrings West bus stop which is about 10 minutes walk from the Church of St Francis of Assisi
- Later services are available.
Leard more about the route using the interactive map below and then
click on the button to register!
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Join the walking pilgrimages to the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Nailsea to celebrate the Year of St Francis! 2026 marks 800 years since the death of St Francis of Assisi and Pope Leo XIV has declared a special Year to commemorate this. More about the Year can be found here . Francis was a pilgrim who undertook significant journeys to Rome, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land. He urged that all forms of hostility or conflict be avoided and that a humble and fraternal attitude be shown to those who did not share his faith. He had a great love of creation. Saturday 3rd Ocober 2026 is exactly 800 years since St Francis died, and the day before his feast day. To mark this a walking pilgrimage is planned in the Diocese of Clifton on Saturday 3rd October with two legs: The Bristol leg will start at Clifton Cathedral at 10.30am and end at the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Nailsea (9 miles) The Clevedon leg will start at the Franciscan church of the Immaculate Conception in Clevedon at 1pm and end at the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Nailsea (6.4 miles) The two legs will convene at 4.30pm at the church for refreshments and prayer. Those who wish can stay for the 6pm Saturday evening Vigil Mass for the Feast of St Francis. Pilgrims are welcome to register to join for one or other of the legs. Walkers do so at their own risk. Children under 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Pilgrims will be responsible for carrying their own food and drink and for arranging their own transport to the start and finish. Nailsea is well served by trains to Bristol and buses to Bristol and Clevedon, for example: Bristol: There are trains from Nailsea & Backwell station to Clifton Down station at 16.29 and 17.29. Nailsea & Backwell station is about 15 minutes walk from the Church of St Francis of Assisi. Clifton Cathedral is 12 minutes walk from Clifton Down station. Bristol: There are trains to Bristol Temple Meads from Nailsea & Backwell at 16.29, 17.06, 17.29 & 18.06 Bristol: There is an X9 bus at 17.05 from Perrings West bus stop which is about 10 minutes walk from the Church of St Francis of Assisi Clevedon: There is an X11 bus at 17.14 from Ash Hayes Rd bus stop which is about 3 minutes walk from the Church of St Francis of Assisi For more details and updates please visit: Trainline and for buses Travel West . More details of the walks and registration More details about the walks and how to register can be found below. You can also be part of the pilgrimage by praying for the success of the event and for the safety of pilgims. You can find other ideas to mark the day here .
A Pilgrimage to commemorate the Year of St Francis of Assisi Saturday 3rd October 2026
Charity Pilgrimage for Mary’s Meals – Saturday 5th – Friday 11th September! This popular pilgrimage is returning for a second year. It is great fun and all in the cause of providing school meals for children in poor countries Mary’s Meals UK Charity – Helping to Feed Hungry Children Living in Poverty Worldwide | Mary’s Meals UK . It is a full guided pilgrimage and we are usually accompanied by a Catholic priest so that there is Mass and prayers each day. The costs are inclusive of accommodation, baggage transfers (for one medium sized bag each) and the guide. There are three options, £427 for shared rooms and sleeping on church floors where available, £538 for shared accommodation and £718 for single occupancy. A day by day blog of the last Mary’s Meals charity pilgrimage is available here Walking the Augustine Camino – by Roy Peachey (keep pressing next at the bottom of the page for subsequent days). Contact Andrew at camino@augustinecamino.co.uk for further details.
