Reading welcomes Spanish delegation to unveil ‘camino’ milestone marker

19th November 2025

A delegation from the Galician government and the Provincial Council of A Coruña in north-west Spain visited Reading this week to unveil a milestone marker on the St James’ Way in Reading and to deepen tourism and economic relationships between the two destinations.

The Camino Inglés is one of the official routes of the world’s most famous long-distance walk and pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago. The mouteira, as the granite milestone marker is known in Galician, has been shipped to Reading from Galicia by the Spanish authorities. It marks the official start of the St James’ Way, a 70-mile pilgrimage walk from Reading to Southampton which is part of the English Way route (Camino Inglés) and ends in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. 

The ‘mouteira’ directs walkers along the St James’ Way in the direction of Galicia, 690 miles from Reading. Walking the St James’ Way in the UK and then the Camino Ingles in Galicia from Ferrol or A Coruna will lead those undertaking the endeavour to the magnificent Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

Reading has been working in partnership with the authorities in Galicia and the UK based Confraternity of St James to develop the St James’ Way as an officially recognised part of the ‘camino.’  The project has involved waymarking the route, producing maps and guides for walkers and providing an official Reading pilgrim office at Reading Museum. Promotion of the route in its first few years has put the St James’ Way on the map as a new long-distance route for the UK as well as a new option for people interested in a pilgrimage. In its first few years, walker numbers have grown from a handful to a few thousand a year by 2025.

Reading’s milestone marker, which takes the same form as ‘mouteiras’ along the many camino routes in Spain, was unveiled by The Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, the Mayor of Reading and representatives of the Confraternity of St James and Galician regional government in Spain. It is located on Chestnut Walk, just below Reading Abbey Ruins.

Reading Abbey was a place of pilgrimage in medieval times, with pilgrims coming to see the Hand of St James and other religious relics held at the Abbey.  Devout pilgrims would then continue their pilgrimage south to the English coast, before crossing to Spain to the final holy destination of Santiago. The modern-day St James’ Way recreates that pilgrim route from Reading to Southampton and is an accredited part of the Camino de Santiago.

During the visit, both regions renewed their commitment to working together to further develop tourism opportunities between Reading and A Coruña.

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, said: “Reading Borough Council, on behalf of REDA and our other tourism partners in Reading, is delighted to welcome colleagues from Galicia and we would like to formally thank them for the generous gift of this ‘mouteira’ (milestone marker) to Reading.

“The installation of the waymarker in the Abbey Quarter is a reflection of Reading’s rich history and updates Reading’s medieval story of pilgrimage to the present day. The ‘mouteira’ will provide a fantastic departure point for the thousands of walkers who are already discovering the St James’ Way and will help Reading capitalise on this opportunity to support our local tourism sector. Reading is now formally a starting point of the world-famous network of ‘caminos’.”

David Sinclair, St James’ Way lead for the Confraternity of St James, said: “The addition of a ‘mouteira’ near Reading Abbey, a year-long project involving the Confraternity of St James UK (CSJ), the Galician Government, A Coruña Provincial Council, Historic England and Reading Borough Council, is a further significant step in the ongoing development of the St James’ Way Camino route.  For CSJ members, it’s like meeting an ‘old friend’ from their caminos overseas, and for a new generation of pilgrims it represents a tangible connection with Galicia and the road that leads to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, potentially a life changing journey by foot.”

As well as unveiling the new milestone marker, the Spanish delegation also walked part of the St James’ Way, were hosted by the Mayor of Reading at the Civic Offices, visited Reading Museum and the Abbey Gateway, and held meetings with REDA, which provides Reading’s tourism resource as Visit Reading.

More information about the St James Way in Reading can be found here.