The Peak Pilgrimage was set up 2015 to mark the 350th anniversary of the plague that afflicted the villagers of Eyam. The 34 mile route takes you through some of the best parts of the Peak District. As you meander from church to church and pub to cafe you can reflect on the glory of nature and creation while collecting stamps and sticky Bible verse from the churches you pass.
Accommodation on the Peak Pilgrimage
The Peak Pilgrimage was set up 2015 to mark the 350th anniversary of the plague that afflicted the villagers of Eyam. The brainchild of a team from Eyam church, the route takes you through some of the best parts of the Peak District. As you meander from church to church and pub to cafe you can reflect on the glory of nature and creation while collecting stamps and sticky Bible verse from the churches you pass.
You are strongly advised to buy the route’s guidebook which can be purchased from the Peak Pilgrimage website.
The route is 34 miles long and is designed to be walked by everyone. In fact, walkers from 8 to 80 have enjoyed the walk. It takes between 2 and 7 days to complete. There is a great choice of independent hostels to stay in on your pilgrimage. Nowhere is the walking more inspiring and restorative than in this section of the Peak District National Park.
The Peak Pilgrimage route is almost entirely on footpaths through beautiful but easy walking countryside, popping into occasional villages, visiting churches and passing lots of enticing pubs and cafes.
There are some waymarks along the Peak Pilgrimage route to guide you. These require permissions from landowners so it will take some time to do the whole route and there may be permanent gaps. Please look out for waymarks to help you but don’t rely on them! Read the Guidebook and look at maps in it as your primary navigation aid.
The opening of the Peak Pilgrimage in 2015 arose national interest. It featured on BBC’s Countryfile on 12 July 2015, Then on 24th March 2016 Clare Balding walked the last 7 miles from Curbar Gap to Eyam as part of her Radio 4 program, Ramblings.
You can take the route in either direction. Both Eyam and Ilam are worthy of a day’s visit and both have a choice of independent hostels near by to stay in.
Eyam is famous for the sacrifice of it’s people in 1665. Led by their rector they refused to flea in the face of the plague which was brought to the village from London in some cloth delivered to the village tailor. You can learn about all about the plague at Eyam Museum and visit Eyam Hall with its courtyard cafe.
Ilam is another idyllic tiny Peak District village, stepped in history and surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Derbyshire Dales. There’s the National Trust owned Ilam Hall and the picturesque Swiss style cottages. Ilam is an easy level walk to Dovedale the most famous of all the Derbyshire Dales and the iconic Stepping Stones over the River Dove.
