In the runup to Holy Week, during the 2020 Covid lockdown, we could not process before Palm Sunday Mass, so a friend and I decided to walk the Abbesses Way. This is a 20 mile pilgrimage route from Wenlock Priory in Much Wenlock to Shrewsbury Abbey, commemorating St Milburga, the 8th Century Abbess of Wenlock Priory, and St Winifrede, the 7th Century Abbess, and a patron Saint of our Diocese. Both Abbesses are actually commemorated in the Liturgical calendar; St Milburga on the 7th Wednesday of Eastertide and St Winifrede, on 3rd November. St Milburga founded Wenlock Priory, supported by her uncle Wulfhere, the King of Mercia, and was installed by St Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury from 669, who worked to heal the tensions between the Celtic and the Roman Church, after the Synod of Whitby, 664. St Milburga was noted for her humility and was endowed with the gift of healing and of bringing sinners to repentance. Under her rule the double monastery flourished like a paradise and she organized the evangelization and pastoral care of south Shropshire. She is said to have had power over birds and was invoked for the protection of crops against their ravages. After a lingering and painful illness, she died peacefully with the words “Blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers”. Her tomb was long venerated until destroyed by invading Danes. The current ruins are those of a Clunaic monastery built after the Norman conquest on the site. St Milburga’s bones were found during excavations of this later house.

St Winifrede is a secondary patron of our Diocese and was venerated both in Shrewsbury and in Holywell. Her relics were moved to Shrewsbury and enshrined and venerated. It was after this that legends about her life began to be told. She grew up near Treffynon (Holywell) in Clywd, a close relative of St Beuno, who founded a monastery at Clynnog Fawr, Afron. Caradog, a chieftain of Hawarden, fell in love with her, but flew into a rage when she spurned his advances and cut off her head. Legend tells us that St Beuno placed her head back on her shoulders and a fragrant spring welled up where her head fell. She lived on to flourish in the religious life, becoming an Abbess of her community in Gwytherin, and died in great holiness in 650. A shrine grew up around the spring and Holywell, as it came to be called, has been venerated throughout the ages to the present day.

Travelling by bus from Shrewsbury to the start of the route, at the Priory in Much Wenlock is an amazing service running every hour throughout the week from Shrewsbury bus station. We started too early to benefit from a tour round the English Heritage owned site of Much Wenlock Priory, which opens at 10am (bookings available online), but a good look at the ruins can be had from the Holy Trinity church yard. We wanted to pray the Stations of the Cross en route, and this was a wonderful place to start.

The route takes you across town and over Wenlock Edge, which gives wonderful views. There is a slightly tricky section after descending the west side, where the sign posts are not so clear. A map and compass are helpful, and a wide berth should be given to The Gippols farm guard dogs! Our gate climbing skills improved with alacrity at this point. The remainder of the walk winds along small roads and footpaths through fields and woods with stiles, linking the ancient churches of Kenley, Langley, Acton Burnell and Berrington. the wind dropped and a watery sun smiled on us for the rest of the day. It took about 8 hrs at a gentle pace and we completed our journey at the shrine of Our Lady Help of Christians at the Cathedral.

The addendum to the route, found online on the link below, provided two more lovely half day walks. Morville Priory to Wenlock Priory (10 miles) and a round trip from the Priory to Buildwas Abbey (11 miles). We took a bus to Morville from Much Wenlock and walked back passing Morville priory, built by the monks of Shrewsbury Abbey, Morville Hall and the Dower House gardens of Dr Katherine Swift (the writer of the Morville Hours), adroitly navigated by Kate Lindsay.



The final walk is a beautiful loop from Wenlock Priory north to the ruins of the 12 century Cistercian Abbey at Buildwas. The ruins of Buildwas Abbey are full of peace and the whispers of ancient prayers and are open to roam around, free of charge. The route heads into Ironbridge along the river, where meals, ice cream and excellent museums and accommodation are to be found. Across the Iron Bridge the path commences the long but stunning pull up Bentnall Edge, affording excellent views over Buildwas and Ironbridge. From here the route descends back south towards Wenlock Priory through fields and along streams.

Catherine Mangham

Photographs by the author

References:

https://britishpilgrimage.org/portfolio/abbesses-way/

Butler’s Lives of the Saints

https://www.pathwaystogod.org/org/st-beunos