Welsh Journals

Trail leaflets were produced, the first being launched by Bishop Ivor Rees in 1995. Three trails, Pilgrims from the Sea, from Llanwnda or Llanllawer to Llanrhian; In the Shadows of the Preseli Hills, from Llanfyrnach to Henry's Moat and The Bishop's Road; from Llawhaden to Nine Wells, are now brought together in this book. To these the authors have added a circuit around the city, Cylch Dewi the Sacred Landscape of St David. The trails are accompanied by simple but clear maps, a short glossary of terms, a brief bibliography and a helpful list of watering holes for each route. This is a neat, well organised publication. Each trail is sectioned into a series of stopping places which may be churches or monuments or sites with associations with a saint, or related to some holy and spiritual antiquity. The Bishop's Road, for example, takes the pilgrim from Llawhaden church to the Bishop's Castle and then on to his Hospice in the village of Llawhaden. On the trails pilgrims are also offered enticing asides as they travel past places of historic, but not necessarily religious, interest. Between Llawhaden and Wiston, for in- stance, they learn of the defeat of the Royalists at the battle of Colby Moor in 1645. Distance requires the modem pilgrim to travel by car although here and there it is suggested that certain sections of the trail might be done on foot. The authors do not admit to having travelled the routes themselves and yet one feels they are very familiar with these journeys. Their chal- lenge is to produce a guide which makes good reading for the armchair traveller and which at the same time rallies pilgrims to set forth, draws them on from site to site, while guiding them safely to their destination. In this they appear to have been very successful. However, for the re- viewer at least, checking directions against a map is no substitute for actually making the journey! The route from one site to another is well planned and described. It is made clear in the introduction that an Ordnance Survey map is essential and there is an assumption that the modem pilgrim can navigate the lanes of Pembrokeshire and also understands map refer- ences. The style of this book is easy, respectful and quietly reverential. Arriving at a remote village church the pilgrim is offered an account of the nature and history of its physical features. Inside one moves through nave or chancel, at one's shoulder the author, pointing out the more intimate