Update - October 2026 Dear fellow pilgrims, I’m pleased to share a first update with you in connection with our 2027 Pilgrimage. If you have any questions about the information here or if you require assistance with any of the actions that you need to take please contact me here or at 540.592.3343. Blessings,
Richard
Pilgrims - Who are we? We are a group of 14 pilgrims. Jane, Ken, & Nancy join us from Christ Church, Alexandria, VA: Josh Adams Lydia Adams Jane Baird Betsy Crenshaw Richard Jones Kenneth Knapp Nancy Knapp Amelia Logan LeighO Wood Stephanie Knapp Beautiful Dartmouth and the Dart Estuary, our home for the first six John MacDonnell days of our pilgrimage. We will have the opportunity to enjoy the Susan Robeson final few days of the International Sailing Regatta here! Carol Miller Rev. Mark Lawson-Jones (Chaplain)
Depart: Thursday August 26th; Please be at Dulles Airport by 2:20pm, for a 5:15pm flight to Dublin/Bristol. Lift sharing/transport from Upperville will be arranged nearer the time. Return: Sunday, September 12th; landing at Dulles Airport at 3:45pm. Should anyone wish to return at an earlier date, this can be arranged. Please contact Richard to discuss your best options.
Hotels I am pleased to confirm that all of our hotels are confirmed and booked as follows: Dartmouth, Devon: Browns Hotel or The Seven Stars (our group will be boarded in two adjacent hotels) Maenporth, Cornwall: The Trelawne Hotel Salisbury, Wiltshire: Sarum College, Salisbury Cathedral Close Chaplain Chepstow, Monmouthshire: St. Pierre, I am delighted to confirm that The Rev. Marriott Country Hotel Mark Lawson-Jones, retired Priest, formerly Deputy Chief of Staff to The Archbishop of Baynard's Cove, Dartmouth one of Canterbury, will join us as Chaplain the locations that the Mayflower and the Speedwell sailed from in throughout our pilgrimage. Mark will be a 1620 bringing pilgrims to the “New familiar face to those who were part of the World”. We will visit here for a time of thanksgiving & prayer. 2025 pilgrimage to Wales.
Important dates Please note in your calendar a minor change to our travel dates, which are now confirmed as:
Due to issues around the availability of accommodation and program requirements, our tour now includes four hotel bases (previously planned as three); for those who thought that they were not going to get to visit Wales, this has been remedied! Our last hotel is located just within the borders of Wales within the south-east of the country in Monmouthshire. This hotel is a re-visit for those who were part of the 2025 pilgrimage.
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Full hotel addresses and telephone numbers (to leave in the U.S. as emergency contact details) will be shared at a later date. Check List Action Required! Please could all pilgrims now complete the following actions as soon as possible. Please confirm to Richard once you have all these arrangements in place. Thank you. • Please check that you have an up to date, valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity remaining after the date of our return travel (9/12/27) or (if you have not) please renew your passport now.
Please complete an application for Electronic Travel Authorization and receive an affirmative/ clear check. Although it is not required to print your ETA clearance I strongly advise that you do so and carry this with your when travelling - just in case of any issues! The ETA application is here. Your ETA is valid for two years. Please only use the official U.K. Government website. Other websites are a scam, and will charge you significantly more than the $20 per person fee that is ordinarily charged. If you need assistance in applying for an ETA (the cell phone app is the best and easiest way to make an application) please make an appointment with Richard who will be happy to help you with this process. The Royal Oak Foundation: Please purchase an annual, individual membership for the U.S. based Royal Oak Foundation. During our program we will be visiting at least five locations/ properties
operated by The National Trust (UK). Entry to all these sites is chargeable, but is free to members of The National The Shrine of St. Boniface, Trust and Holy Cross Church, The Royal Crediton. We begin our Oak pilgrimage here! Foundation. This will save a considerable amount of money, and will give us quick and efficient access as a group to each of these places. Annual membership of The Royal Oak Foundation is $80 per person for one year.
Much of our pilgrimage visits areas that were historically Celtic lands
Please join here and ensure that you have a printed copy of your membership with you on during the Pilgrimage. Perhaps suggest membership as a birthday or Christmas gift from family or friends!
them. Typically, Aer Lingus has a sale on flights for two weeks through Thanksgiving. Please watch and review prices regularly over the next few weeks. A price between $1000 and $1250 per person (total/both journeys) would be reasonable. (price on 10/12 is $1414 based on Smart ticket which includes a checked bag). If you are comfortable booking your flights at this point and are satisfied with the price being offered, please go ahead and book your flights.
Flights: Booking for August/September flights is now open with most airlines. You are responsible for your own flight arrangements and bookings. For those planning to join most of the group on the recommended flights with Aer Lingus, please take the following steps: Program Carefully note the following flight details Several additional, exciting opportunities (avoid booking the wrong flights! - If in have arisen during the planning of our doubt ask Richard for assistance). pilgrimage and have been added to the Outbound: Thursday 26th August; Dulles program. I’m sure we’re going to have an (17:15) to Dublin; to Bristol (07:55); Flight amazing time! I plan to share an information numbers: El 116 & El 3280. card with everyone each evening giving key Inbound: Sunday, 12th September; Bristol times, information, and highlights of the (08:25) to Dublin to Dulles (15:45); Flight following days program. In the meantime numbers El3281 & El 117. here’s just a little teaser of some aspects of Please note: it is important that you book our pilgrimage: your flight as one journey/one ticket each Our pilgrimage has (in parts) a way, even though this includes a Avebury is the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world,, is between 500 to connecting flight. This will ensure that 800 years older than Stonehenge, and dates from 2850 BC to 2200 BC! your checked baggage automatically goes straight to our final destination. Economy Class options include Saver (cabin luggage only / no checked bag) or Smart (includes checked bag, 23kg / 50lbs max). Please select carefully. During our visit you will have full and up close access to these remarkable Bookings should be made at stones and this exceptional site. www.aerlingus.com Do not book with third party providers / websites. I recommend that you also download and install to your cell phone the Aer Lingus app, which will allow you to save and use your digital boarding passes and travel tickets. Flight prices: Average flight prices have Slapton Sunds, Devon, is a significant WWII location for the U.S. We will observe a time of remembrance & prayer altered little since we began tracking
distinctively literately Rector and to a small theme! We have visits museum which tells the confirmed to Greenway, story of his life and work. home of Agatha Christie, His most famous hymns “the Queen of Crime”; to are "Let all the world in Dartmoor, which inspired every corner sing," "Teach Conan Doyle’s “The me, my God and King," Hound of the "King of Glory, King of Baskerville’s” (Sherlock Peace," and "The God of Holmes): we will enjoy Love my Shepherd Is." Afternoon Tea at the Payment by Installment: former home of The Rev. October 31st, 2026: Next Henry Francis Lyte, payment due: $1250 each Victorian clergyman and February 28th, 2027: Next author of Abide with Me, payment due: $1250 each Praise, my soul, the King June 30th, 2027: Final of Heaven, as well as payment due: $1180 each other hymns and religious poetry. Later we will visit If you have further questions his church, where we will at this point or information that might be of interest to say Evening Prayer with the local clergy, and sing the wider group please get in touch here or 540.592.3343. Lyte’s most famous hymns. We will be visiting Next update newsletter February 2027. the former home of the D'Oyly Carte family, of the famous theater company of the same name. At Truro Cathedral we find ourselves at the home of the very first service of “Nine Lessons & Carols”, an idea of Bishop (later Ancient country churches ... Archbishop) Benson. At Salisbury we’ll learn more about 17th century poet/priest The Rev. George Herbert, and we’ll The Church of St Michel de Rupe, Brentor, Dartmoor, is make a walking built on a volcanic rock. “… a church on a very High hill pilgrimage to the I believe nearest heaven of any church in England”. (Dr James Younge, Devon diarist, c. 1680). We will visit church where he was here and share Daily Prayer together.
Richard
We will worship at the incredible St. Petrox’s Church, Dartmouth
At The Trelawne Hotel we can enjoy the beautiful gardens which lead to Maenporth beach and ocean!
Remembering the lives of early saints, commemorated in amazing medieval craftsmanship
A visit to historic Totnes on market day!