The Celtic Way.

There are three major changes to the way the Celtic Way Walk.

1. REVISION
   

• SAME Our revised walking details will still run from west to east from Pembrokeshire  moving in the direction of Stonehenge, then on to Glastonbury.
• SAME Anyone walking through the west country to Cornwall to Glastonbury can follow the  LandsEnd Trail route as in the original guide, or take on the route devised by the group who have produced the Mary-Michael Pilgrims' Way route. We shall not be updating because the other routes already exists with infrastructure and guidance. 
  
• CHANGE The Celtic Way Walk is being updated to reflect the walking on the ground, path changes, signage, access, plus not duplicating the work done by others.
• WHY? Things on the ground change. It is time to check the route and reflect those changes in an updated guide, printed in sections for ease of access and download. 
• BACKSTORY  The Vision. The vision for the route came while by the iron-rusty stream Cwm Philip which run through the Margam estate. Anyone who goes there will see the tall ancient oaks, one stricken by lightening; if they follow the stream to the next gate near the ford they will see the ancient woodland closing in on them from the facing  hillside as they walk, before the fir forestry takes over the other side of the boundary. It is easy to imagine a Merlin-like figure coming down off he hillside towards you. I certainly did. If a walker then ascends the south hill towards the BRO stone, at the summit they will see the Bristol channel, Somerset, the small islands in  the Severn, and Welsh coast up towards Bear Headland at Penarth and even to Caerwent and the Newport Levels. They, like me,  could imaging a warband, Arthurian, with swift ponies, trained warriors travelling armed yet light. It was easy to see how hilltop Beacons would have kept a dialogue going between both sides of the coast. 
• BACKSTORY The Reality. The idea for the Celtic Way was born. Jun 6th 1996. Two years later the guide was published. Then silence. Life, other people's lives and my own, too may deaths, welcome births, spending time in Europe: all took over, and then teh writing of a fictional historical trilogy, inspired by records of events and people and events during the Welsh War for Independence, and a keen sense of place: West Gower. These places and visions can take over. But now, a bit battered but as keen if not more so, it is time to set The Celtic Way to rights for the 21st century. Coming back to it I am blown away by the number of people who have walked, and even getter, written, blogged and shared their time on it. Do a search, you will find them and their insights into the walk. I get the impression of sheer pleasure in the walking, the sense of freedom. I defy you not to feel that yourself on the ridgeways and national parks this route uses. 
• MILES It was always seen as a Welsh rout into Wessex and Stonehenge, but when a call went out for volunteers there was such a keen response from the English side of the Bristol channel that the route was extended.  Wales was harder. Begun before wide spread web usage, we relied on features in the local newspapers to volunteers. I wanted to attract people with a passion for the history as well as the walking. Where we had no-one to take on a section I took it on with delight. 

1. ADAPTIVE WALKING 

• The future will expand on this. First by revision. second by inclusion. Adaptive walking is important to me. I wear a leg brace and walk with a limp and pain. But I walk. The desire to get into the heart of our national parks where accessibility tend to be limited to the most fit and expert of the company of walkers, is just as strong in those of us who no longer have that same mobility. I want to report good access where it makes sense, even for a few hundred yards from a hilltop car park, along a ridge with a fair surface and a cracking view. The dolmen sites lend them selves to this a hint of infrastructure in terms of access. But there is no urge to take it beyond what is safe or reasonable. Logging segments of adaptive walking should be fun and I am looking forward to it, Watch out for a grey VW called Compass Rose, a limping walker along with a trusty companion or two. Or maybe even alone. introduce yourself. I love a chat with fellow lovers of megaliths and walking/limping. Talking of Megalithic, the third expansion is to showcase the sites. Neolithic, megalithic, the stones in the landscape. And the Llannau, the ancient churches oval sites chosen, built, and developed by the endeavours and inspiration of the Celtic Saints of the 4th and 5th century. And the wells. No site stands alone. It stands in a landscape that has reference points. Do your Citizen above-ground Archaeology. It  is fun, thought-provoking and priceless. Nothing gets touched, yet every thing gets seen and heard. See the sites page for tips if you want them, but a lot of it is just taking time and having a mind of your own to consider what it is you actually see. Hills and the neolithic sites speak to each other. Look at Pentre Ifan in its hillside context. Landscape Archaeology is being done on this by enthusiasts to find sounds, textures, colours, and links, alignments. You haven't lived until you've heard a didgeridoo played  in North Kennett Longbarrow. You will find others similarly curious. If I was asked I would say that we are being 'invited' to consider the intentions behind these sites, the people and how they organised themselves for the massive tasks they took on. More of this in the Bringing the Bluestones Section.
• THE DEEPER WEST See http://marymichaelpilgrimsway.org/ 
• We are republishing our route from Glastonbury to Stonehenge then Avebury. It is being updated.
  
• https://www.oliverscornwall.co.uk/thelandsendtrailhomepage.html
  
• You can access The Bluestones Route Section directly here: www.bringingthebluestones.com