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Shrines and Lines - A pilgrimage to the sacred places and steam railways of North Wales
Led by Rev'd David Chance and Mrs Andrea Chance

Introduction

Shrines and Lines is a pilgrimage to satisfy the popular demand -“When Wales?”. It combines outstanding Christian Holy Shrines with equally outstanding steam railway lines, in a unique and unmissable journey. Along the way we will encounter fellow Christians, past and present, from the Celtic, Medieval and Modern periods as we travel through some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable in this ‘Holy Land of Wales’. So much to experience - so little time! We have crammed the itinerary and hope you approve of our selection. - Andrea & David Chance

Basic Itinerary

DAY ONE - SATURDAY 29TH MAY

Banstead - Welshpool - Aberystwyth

Early morning departure by coach from Banstead with comfort stops en-route. We stop at Welshpool for a single ride on the Welshpool - Llanfair railway. We rejoin the coach at Llanfair and continue to Aberystwyth, where we check into the Bellevue Royal Hotel for dinner and a two-night stay.

DAY TWO - SUNDAY 30TH MAY

Aberystwyth

Sunday morning worship is at St Padarn Parish Church at Llanbadarn Fawr, about a mile from the seaside resort. St Padarn came from Britanny to establish a monastic settlement in the 6th century, even before St Augustine, arrived in England in 597 AD. The little museum in the church contains an exhibition on the monastic foundation of St Padarn and is the famous home of ancient and modern Welsh religious poets including the 14th century poet, Darydd Ap Gwilyn. A packed lunch will be provided today. This afternoon we ride on the Vale of Rheidol railway from Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge and return, with superb views over the Rheidol Valley. The railway was opened in 1902 to serve the lead mines, as well as carry passengers and timber through the Rheidol Valley. Return to Aberystwyth in the afternoon.

DAY THREE - MONDAY 31ST MAY

Aberystwyth

Depart Aberystwyth, with our first stop of the day at the seaside town of Tywyn, where the church of St Cadfan houses the five-foot high St Cadfan’s Stone, which is inscribed with the earliest example of written Welsh. We board the Talyllyn Narrow-gauge railway for a delightful seven-mile journey through the Talyllyn valley to Nant Gwernol. The railway became the world’s first volunteer-run railway, when enthusiasts took over the running of it in 1950, four years after the Slate Quarry near to Nant Gwernol closed. We rejoin the coach and continue to Dolgellau, formerly the County Town of Merionethshire. We stop for lunch here (Excellent pie shops!). In the afternoon we make a stop at Portmerion to visit the Italianate village, which was the brainchild of the architect, Clough Williams-Ellis in the 1920s. Stop to buy memorabilia of ‘The Prisoner’, or the colourful pottery. Drive north to the seaside resort of Llandudno, to check into our award-winning hotel, The Dunoon, for dinner and a five night stay.

DAY FOUR - TUESDAY 1ST JUNE

Caernarfon - Bangor

We drive along the North-west coast from Llandudno to Caernarfon where we join the newly restored Welsh Highland Railway, which runs down the western edge of Snowdonia National Park. Travel through majestic mountain scenery to the village of Beddgelert. The village is also linked with the Rupert Bear stories, as Alfred Bestall wrote and illustrated some of the stories whilst he lived in the village, in a cottage at the foot of Mynydd Sygun. Afternoon visit to the Cathedral City of Bangor. It was St Deiniol, the patron saint of the Cathedral who founded a monastic settlement here in 525 AD. The Cathedral is Britain’s oldest, pre-dating Canterbury by some seventy years. The original Cathedral was destroyed, and rebuilt by the Normans in 1070. We have time to visit the Cathedral and the adjoining Bible Garden.

DAY FIVE - WEDNESDAY 2ND JUNE

Anglesey - Beaumaris

Today we visit the holy island of Anglesey crossing the Menai Straits by Robert Stevenson’s famous Britannia railway bridge with photo stops for Telford’s remarkable suspension bridge and Llanfair PG. Beside Menai Strait we walk down to Church Island for prayers at S. Tesilio’s shrine. After a short drive to the castle town of Beaumaris we stop for lunch and admire the views of Snowdonia. Back to the mainland to visit Penrhyn Castle (National Trust - bring your cards) fascinating home of the Pennant slate barons and now housing industrial railwayana.

DAY SIX - THURSDAY 3RD JUNE

Ffestiniog Railway - Lleyn Peninsula

Today we drive south through the Vale of Conwy to Blaenauffestiniog for a ride on the Ffestiniog railway to the town of Porthmadog, named after both William Madocks, a Lincolnshire MP, and the Welsh Prince Madog. After a stop for lunch, we drive along the pilgrims route, which begins at Holywell and finishes at the village of Aberdaren. The ancient parish church is close to the beach and was famous as the embarkation point for the Isle of 20,000 saints - Bardsey. This church was served by the priest poet R.S. Thomas and continues to be a pilgrim centre.

DAY SEVEN - FRIDAY 4TH JUNE

Llandudno

Today will be at leisure to enjoy the seaside town, with its sandy beaches, Victorian pier, and the Great Orme Tramway, not forgetting the Alice in Wonderland centre to discover the Lewis Carroll connection with the town! If there is enough demand, an optional return trip on the Snowdon Mountain railway will be arranged (payable at the time)

DAY EIGHT - SATURDAY 5TH JUNE

Banstead via Colwyn Bay - St Asaph and Holywell

Depart from Llandudno after breakfast. Short drive to Colwyn Bay to see the tiny St Trillo’s chapel which can seat just six worshippers. We continue on to St Asaph, the second smallest Cathedral City in Britain. The Cathedral was founded by St Kentigern in the 6th century. We visit the Cathedral before continuing to the shrine of St Winifred at Holywell, one of the only Shrines to have remained as a place of pilgrimage throughout the reformation and afterwards to this day. To quote Gerard Manley Hopkins:

Here to this Holy well shall pilgrimages be: And not far from purple Wales only not far from elmy England, But from beyond seas, Erin, France and Flanders, everywhere, Pilgrims, still pilgrims, more pilgrims, still more pilgrims.

At the shrine we will say prayers at the well. Lunch will be at choice in the town of Holywell, before the drive back home, with a comfort stop on the way.

Travel Dates and Cost:

29th May 2010 - 5th June 2010
Eight days
£799

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Terms of Payment:

To book places on this tour please send £120 (plus the insurance premium if the cover we offer is required) per person and a completed booking form to the Pax Travel address

THIS TRIP INCLUDES:

7-nights accommodation in shared twin-bedded or double rooms with private facilities as follows: 29th - 31st May: Bellevue Royal Hotel, Aberystwyth. May - 5th June: Dunoon Hotel, Llandudno. All touring by air-conditioned coach as per the itinerary. Train Journeys as follows: Welshpool - Llanfair Railway (single journey), Vale of Rueidol Railway (return journey), Talyllyn narrow gauge railway (single journey), Welsh Highland Railway (return journey), Ffestiniog Railway (single journey. Entrance fees as per the itinerary. The services of Revd David and Andrea Chance as tour leaders. Meal plan: 7 full Welsh breakfasts, 7 dinners & 1 packed lunch. This group will be led by an Anglican priest and his wife. Members of all Christian denominations are welcome.

EXTRAS:

Single rooms supplement at £98 per person for 7 nights (limited availability). Entrances and touring not in the itinerary. Lunches, drinks and souvenirs. Travel insurance, currently at £17.62. Transfers from London and other parts of the UK to and from Banstead, Surrey.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:

Anglican