Come on pilgrim...

Throughout history and across cultures, pilgrimage carries associations of adventure and hospitality among strangers. Early pilgrimages were a celebration of life – with music, food and stories shared along the way.

The pilgrim flask is a traditional form that traces back to the 9th Century BCE: a powerful symbol of travel and of sharing.

In medieval times, the scallop shell became another symbol of pilgrimage - perhaps starting as a token carried home for luck, or the simplest of drinking vessels picked up along the way. And for those unable to make a physical journey, imagined pilgrimages were popular too – simply count out the steps in your daily life with mindful intention.

This series began as an imagined journey along the river Thames. Our pilgrimage can be as simple as finding succour with a company of friends, in a quiet bend of water, a kingfisher dipping behind reeds, or a writer’s thoughtful words.