A Welsh and English Pilgrimage
Trip Summary
Group Leaders: The Rev. Canon Stephen N. Brannon & Dr. James J. Rawls
ACIS Group ID: 20372
U.S. Gateway: San Francisco
Departure Date: 14 May 2009
Return Date: 25 May 2009
Length of Trip: 12 Days
Countries Visited: Wales and England (United Kingdom)
Overnights: 1 Windsor, 2 Cardiff, 1 Fishguard, 4 Chester, 2 Oxford
Highlights: Choral Evensong at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Tintern Abbey, Holy Eucharist in Llandaff Cathedral, Welsh Banquet and Welsh Singers at Cardiff Castle, Choral Evensong in St David’s Cathedral, St Non’s Chapel and Holy Well, Choral Evensong in Chester Cathedral, Caernarfon Castle, St Winifred’s Well in Holywell, St Tudno’s Church, Llandudno, Holy Communion at Coventry Cathedral, Choral Eucharist in Magdalen College Chapel, Choral Evensong at New College Chapel, Oxford
Program Fee:* $3579
+ $95 US: ACIS Registration Fee
+ $559 US: Tax/Inspection/Supplement Fee
(Note: Discount of $250 per person if registered by October 15, 2008)
*Prices are based on a minimum group number of 30. If the number of participants falls below this, a small group surcharge may be assessed. Please refer to the “Terms and Conditions” contained within the ACIS Registration form for additional travel information.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1. Thursday, May 14, 2009 Overnight Flight
Departure from the United States.
Day 2. Friday, May 15, 2009 Windsor
Arrival in London and transfer to hotel in Windsor for free afternoon. Attend Choral Evensong at St George’s Chapel.
Day 3. Saturday, May 16, 2009 Cardiff
Morning tour of Windsor Castle, official residence of the British Royal Family. Afternoon visit to Tintern Abbey. Briefing and Welcome Dinner. (B,D)
Day 4. Sunday, May 17, 2009 Cardiff
Attend Choral Eucharist at LLandaff Cathedral in the morning. Free afternoon. Enjoy Welsh Banquet this evening with music and song at Cardiff Castle. (B,D)
Day 5. Monday, May 18, 2009 Fishguard
Travel westward to St David’s, the spiritual capital of Wales. Visit chapel of St Thomas á Becket. Attend Choral Evensong at St David’s Cathedral. (B)
Day 6. Tuesday, May 20, 2009 Chester
This morning visit St Non’s Chapel and healing well. Enjoy morning tea at St Non’s Retreat Center. Travel along scenic Welsh coastline to Chester. (B)
Day 7. Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Chester
Travel through Snowdonia National Park for tour of Caernarfon Castle, traditional site of the investiture of the Prince of Wales. (B)
Day 8. Thursday, May 21, 2009 Chester
Visit Chester Cathedral in the morning followed by a free afternoon to explore the ancient walled city of Chester. Attend Choral Evensong at the cathedral. (B)
Day 9. Friday, May 22, 2009 Chester
Begin the day with an excursion to Holywell to visit St Winifred’s well. Afternoon travel to holiday seaside town of Llandudno and St Tudno’s Church. (B)
Day 10. Saturday, May 23, 2009 Oxford
This morning travel southward to Oxford, stopping for a visit to Coventry Cathedral. Attend Holy Communion in cathedral’s Chapel of Unity. (B)
Day 11. Sunday, May 24, 2009 Oxford
Attend Sung Eucharist at Magdalen College Chapel, followed by free afternoon. Choral Evensong at New College. Gala Farewell Dinner. (B,D)
Day 12. Monday, May 25, 2009 Departure
Transfer to London for return flight to the United States. (B)
A Welsh and English Pilgrimage will be an outward journey through some of the most beautiful countryside in the United Kingdom. Our pilgrimage will be a journey inward as well, a time of spiritual enrichment and renewal. Our pace will be leisurely with time for prayer and reflection as we consider the various strands of Welsh and English spirituality.
We’ll begin our pilgrimage with a relaxing stay at an inn near the royal residence of Windsor Castle. On our journey westward into Wales, we’ll visit Tintern Abbey on the River Wye, immortalized in the poetry of William Wordsworth. Our bases for exploring South Wales will be the historic cathedral towns of Cardiff and tiny St David’s. While in Cardiff, we’ll enjoy a festive Welsh Banquet in the undercroft of the castle, complete with Welsh mead and singers in traditional costume performing songs in both English and Welsh. St David’s, perched on the spectacular Pembrokeshire coast, is the spiritual capital of Wales and the smallest city in Britain. Here we’ll consider the witness of Welsh-born Rowan Williams, the current leader of the Anglican Communion, consecrated in 1999 as the Archbishop of Wales. According to tradition, two pilgrimages to St David’s equal one to Rome; three pilgrimages equal one to Jerusalem.
In the north, we’ll lodge in the historic border-town of Chester. Nestled along the banks of the River Dee, its medieval walls and half-timbered buildings are endlessly fascinating. We’ll take several day-trips from Chester, including a visit to thirteenth-century Caernarfon Castle, site of the 1969 investiture of HRH Charles, the Prince of Wales. Our time in Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, will feature services by two of the university’s world-famed chapel choirs.
Registration will be limited to 30 participants.
Completed registration forms should be returned to ACIS with the $95 registration fee. Credit-card registration also may be made online at http://www.acis.com/register/index.asp. At the prompt, enter the Group Leader’s ID Number: 20372 and the Group Leader’s Last Name: Rawls. If registered by December 6, 2008, you will receive a $250 per-person discount.
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