Pilgrimage - St James' Way

Welcome to Reading, a modern destination with a medieval history. Reading is the departure point for modern pilgrims and walkers retracing the steps of medieval pilgrims along St James’ Way to Southampton and then on to Galicia in north-west Spain to join the Camino Ingles, one of the routes of the world-famous Camino de Santiago.  

In 2022,  the iconic 'camino' scallop shell waymarking signs have been installed along the whole of its route, from the departure point in Reading to the final destination at God's House Tower in Southampton. 

Reading has lots of things to do and see while you are here, including a number of important pilgrim sites and religious landmarks as well as history and heritage activities, so take a day or two to explore Reading's medieval history and get your Pilgrim Passport stamped before you set off on the St James’ Way. 

Pilgrimage in Reading

Throughout the Middle Ages, Reading and Caversham were recognised centres of pilgrimage. The focus in Reading was Reading Abbey, which possessed over 230 relics including the Hand of St James, which made Reading the centre of the cult of St James in early medieval England. On the other side of the River Thames was the Shrine of Our Lady of Caversham, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was visited in person by Queen Catherine of Aragon as late as 1532. Both were dissolved in the late 1530s, after which the location of the Shrine of Our Lady was lost to local memory, and has only been re-identified in recent years.

Walking the St James' Way

The St James’s Way is a long-distance walk of 68 miles running from Reading Abbey south to Southampton, and part of the Camino Ingles/English Way, the network of pilgrimage trails that run as far north in England as Durham to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, where St James is buried. This route is now marked with 500+ scallop shell signs, symbol of the pilgrims to Santiago, and the yellow arrow to point you in the right Camino. 

Our map guide will show you where all the places of historic or pilgrim interest can be found in Reading. Don't miss Reading Abbey Ruins, the Abbey Gate and Forbury Gardens, St James Church and the modern Shrine at St Anne's Church in Caversham, as well as Reading Museum, where you can get your pilgrim passport stamped. 

There are 3 places to get your passport stamped at the start of the St James' Way in Reading:-

• St James Church (call ahead if possible, 0118 957 4171)
• Reading Museum (open Tues – Fri, 10am – 4pm; Sat, 10am – 5pm; closed Sun & Mon)
• Carluccio’s, The Forbury, RG1 (open Mon – Fri from 8am; Sat & Sun from 10am, earliest close is 9pm on Sun.)

Stamps all count towards your Compostela. There are also more than a dozen pubs along the route that will stamp your passport. Buen Camino! 

Useful information and links

• More information on the St James’ Way - Confraternity of St James

• Walk the Camino Ingles (English Way) in Galicia - Association of Councils of the Camino Ingles (English Way)

• How to get your pilgrim passport in the UK

• Reading Maps and guides for Modern Pilgrims & walkers

• The St James' Way through Hampshire

• St James' Way in Southampton

• St James's Way in Winchester

• The Guardian Travel's "I did the English Leg of the Camino de Santiago - starting in Reading"