Walk of worship
Seven famous faces hope to find faith in the wilds of North Wales
Pilgrimage Good Friday, 9pm (times vary), BBC2 (box set, BBC iplayer)
Seven adventurous celebrities take on the mountains of North Wales in search of spiritual enlightenment this week in BBC2’S Pilgrimage:
The Road Through North Wales.
The three-part series follows our famous ‘pilgrims’ – all of different faiths and beliefs – as they embark on a soul-searching journey along the Pilgrim’s Way.
Among the group is Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan, who’s joined by ex-made in Chelsea star
Spencer Matthews, christened Church of England; broadcaster Sonali Shah, who grew up in a Jain family; comedian Eshaan Akbar, a lapsed Muslim; The Traitors favourite Amanda Lovett, a practising Catholic; Friday Night Dinner actor Tom Rosenthal, who is areligious; and former model Christine Mcguinness, who’s spiritual but doesn’t practise any religion.
Strachan doesn’t prescribe to any organised religion, but puts her faith in the natural world.
‘I don’t belong to a religion but if some people believe it helps them get through this often complicated and confusing life, good for them,’ says Strachan, 57. ‘I find comfort and life’s answers in Mother Nature – through acknowledging the fact we’re one of many species within the natural world.
That’s my main faith.’
The seven pilgrims begin their adventure at Flint Castle on the banks of the Dee Estuary and follow the coastal path to Greenfield Valley, the official start of Pilgrim’s Way. Travelling on foot and by bus, they’ll journey along a 220km route with a history dating back to early Christian Celtic saints, finishing up on Bardsey Island, the fabled ‘Island of 20,000 Saints’.
PERSONAL JOURNEYS
Strachan has very personal reasons for going on the pilgrimage.
‘We all went on a different journey – my journey was coping with loss,’ she reveals. ‘I’d had a heartbreaking year with lots of people very close to me passing away including my best friend. Pilgrimage was my way of being able to process that grief.
‘I’d literally come straight from my best friend’s funeral, so it was still so raw. She had breast cancer, the same diagnosis I’d been given. I miss her greatly.’
The pilgrims head for St Celynnin,
one of the oldest and most remote churches on the pilgrimage. There, they meet priest Eryl Parry, who leads them to a viewing spot on the hillside and asks them to look out and imagine a ‘thin place’, where there is a sense of standing on the threshold between heaven and Earth.
‘My thin place was at the top of Mount Snowdon,’ says Strachan. ‘Mountains are my place to go for peace; it’s my meditation. Following this route reminded me of how stunning North Wales is and it’s made me want to explore more.’
Meanwhile, Rosenthal, 36, also fully embraced his spiritual side on the pilgrimage.
‘I had a few religious experiences – moments in which I felt the divine revealed itself to me – on this pilgrimage,’ he says. ‘It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.’
And Strachan agrees: ‘I found taking two weeks to process grief through walking and talking to be extremely cathartic. I was intrigued about walking with people from different backgrounds and having deep conversations. I think all religions should be taught in schools, so we can respect and understand people better.’
‘I was intrigued about walking with people from different backgrounds’
MICHAELA STRACHAN