Project overview
In the late thirteenth century, an unlikely group of pilgrims set off from Swansea for the tomb of St Thomas Cantilupe at Hereford Cathedral. William de Briouze, the Anglo-Norman Lord of Gower, and his wife Lady Mary were accompanied by William Cragh - a Welsh outlaw who had attacked and burned their castle at Oystermouth and had been sentenced to death by hanging. But Cragh's execution had ended unexpectedly: the gallows broke, and he was later restored to life by St Thomas, a former bishop of Hereford. And now Cragh travelled together with Lord and Lady de Briouze to the tomb of this new saint to give thanks for what they understood as a miracle. The hanging and revival of William Cragh was the focus of a recent AHRC-funded research project, 'City Witness: Place and Identity in Medieval Swansea', which used the story as a starting-point for exploring place, belief and identities in medieval Swansea and the March of Wales. Now, this project will use William Cragh's journey from Swansea to Hereford as inspiration for a new tourism route, giving visitors and local communities the opportunity to step into the rich medieval heritage of the region. The hybrid driving-walking route will begin in Swansea, where Cragh was hanged, moving on to a series of medieval sites across the Wales-England border region - such as Neath Abbey, Patrishow Church and Goodrich Castle - which will allow us to tell a compelling story about Cragh, St Thomas and the medieval culture of the March of Wales. Mirroring the pilgrimage of Cragh and the de Briouzes, the route will end in Hereford, where the shrine of St Thomas still stands in the medieval cathedral, and other spectacular survivals, such as the Mappa Mundi and medieval books, offer glimpses of their world. Centred on a partnership between the University of Southampton and Hereford Cathedral, the project will develop exciting, multi-media interpretation resources linked to an interactive online map, as well as a print guide / interpretation booklet. 2020 will see the 700th anniversary of the canonisation of St Thomas, and the new pilgrimage route will form a key element of its commemoration and celebration. Hereford Cathedral will provide in-kind support and use of archive resources (such as the spectacular Mappa Mundi and medieval books) to help enhance the core research produced by the 'City Witness' project. Visitors exploring the new route - whether driving, walking, or participating 'virtually' via technology - will be able to engage with the multiple layers of heritage in the region, including: *Immersive engagement with the William Cragh story, interpreted in stages along the route *Accessible information about historical, cultural and political contexts in the medieval March of Wales *Detail about St Thomas, his miracles, and the role of faith and popular devotion in medieval culture *Encounters with historic medieval sites, including locations described by writers such as Gerald of Wales and Walter Map and in documents from Hereford Cathedral and the St Thomas canonisation archive *Interpretation of the landscape and its cultural meaning *Spiritual reflections (for participants with a religious faith), composed for each location by senior clergy at Hereford Cathedral *Multi-media resources, including images, video and audio recordings (for example, the liturgy for St Thomas sung by Hereford Cathedral choir) The Swansea-Hereford route project seeks to respond to specific needs and challenges identified during and after the 'City Witness' research project, and will bring a range of cultural, wellbeing and economic benefits to visitors and host communities in the region. In particular, it will fold Swansea city centre more firmly into heritage tourism routes in south Wales, increase visitors to Hereford and its cathedral, and develop the potential of small churches / chapels and local historic sites in the region as often under-exploited cultural and tourism assets.