Two Saints Way Long Distance Trail (10.15 - 10.45)
David Pott
Minutes:
David Pott, whose idea it was to create the Two Saints Way, briefed the Forum on the development of the trail.
The Two Saints Way was a new pilgrimage route of approximately 86 miles between the two cathedral cites of Chester and Lichfield, linking St Werburgh’s shrine with St Chad’s shrine.
The trail was split into four sections:
1 - Chester to Nantwich section started at Chester Cathedral, with the route mostly along the ShropshireUnionCanal, with a diversion to BeestonCastle and the village of Bunbury, before ending at Nantwich.
2 - Nantwich to Stoke on Trent section was predominately farmland and after the relative flatness of Cheshire there were some hills to walk over on the way into Stoke on Trent. The Staffordshire Hoard could be viewed at the PotteriesMuseum.
3 - Stoke on Trent to Stafford section of the route followed the Trent Valley, along sections of the Trent and Mersey Canal, through remnants of the Staffordshire New Forest at Trentham and Tittensor Chase. The trail passed through Stone to Salt where it turned south west over Hopton Heath and Beacon Hill to Stafford.
4 - Stafford to Lichfield section meandered out of Stafford along the River Sow, the route joining the Heart of England Way to cross Cannock Chase, before the last few miles of farmland and country lanes to Lichfield and St Chad’s Well.
The intention was to open the trail in 2012. Work was in progress to sort out any access issues, design the waymarking and information boards and produce a guide for the route.
Meetings were being held with interested parties, which included Chester and Lichfield Cathedrals, Visit Chester, Staffordshire Tourism, StaffordshireUniversity and British Waterways. The next meeting would be held on 18 July 2011 at 2 pm at the Beaconside Campus of StaffordshireUniversity in Stafford.
Further information could be obtained by email David - dlpott@twosaintsway.org.uk and a website was under development -