The project leader of a plan to create a new long-distance walking route for modern pilgrims, which starts in Reading, has been nominated for Putting Reading on the Map.
David Sinclair is a volunteer for the Confraternity of St James, a pilgrims association, educational charity and book publisher for the ancient and modern-day pilgrim route Camino de Santiago, or ‘way of Saint James’ in Spain.
As a volunteer, David has project managed the planning and installation of more than 500 signs from Reading Abbey Quarter to Southampton along 70 miles of paths to create the St James Way.
The new route celebrates our country’s medieval heritage and provides a way for modern pilgrims and walkers to retrace the steps of medieval pilgrims who would have headed from the UK to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
His nominator said: “From a handful of people walking the trail a year ago, there are now groups heading off from Reading most days, visiting Reading Museum or St James Church as their starting point.
“Recent travel features on the St James Way in the Guardian and BBC Travel, which David has contributed to, have literally put Reading on the map as the starting point of the pilgrimage route,” they added.
“The development of the St James’ Way shines a light on Reading’s heritage and will bring tourism benefits to the town as the start of a pilgrimage route, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.”
