New Pilgrim Tales of Milton Keynes
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New Pilgrim Tales of Milton Keynes ilgrimage was once The trail would take in the rich medieval Britain’s most popular landscape along modern city pathways expression of leisure from the earthwork remains of Snelshall and spirituality, an Priory on the South-western edge of the activity enjoyed by Kings city to St Mary’s Chapel at Bradwell and labourers alike. But the tradition was Abbey. We set out to create a record of the cut short in 1538, when Henry VIII and trail through our practices; working with Thomas Cromwell banned pilgrimage in plants, image making and storytelling and Britain. Ever since, the tradition has lain curating these into an almanac, of sorts, fallow. Today, there is a global renaissance which is what you are holding now. of pilgrimage – 250,000 on the Camino to Santiago, 2 million on the Hajj, 100 million We loved the idea of an almanac being a to Kumbh Mela1 and in Britain, the British really accessible form for collecting and Pilgrimage Trust are reopening many of curating our research; a kind of pilgrim’s the old and forgotten routes. holiday album. It’s a folk framework, a way of capturing the inter-related In 2017 I took a photograph of a street connections around us as we move sign in Milton Keynes city centre. It said through the year. Anyone can make one. ‘Pilgrim Street’ but it went nowhere, a Everyone we walked and cycled with, fragment of infrastructure waiting to join made this one. up with future development. It got me wondering though, could one actually As we explored the city’s grid squares make a pilgrimage in the city? The people containing the route, we wove elements of of Milton Keynes have always been the season, the places, colours, weather, considered pioneers – pilgrims of a sort – symbols, plants and people together. Our travelling to a new place, a place of discoveries began to collect themselves possibilities, a new place to live. into stuffed notebooks, pegged up maps, nature tables, votives, photographs, song Fast forward to 2019 and A Word in lyrics, tables and charts and foraged Edgeways, comprising of Nicky Kenny, plants. Walking and cycling with members Philippa Tipper and myself, were of the community helped us unearth their commissioned by Culture MK and the City stories. Discovery Centre to create a new walking and cycling route through Milton Keynes called the ‘Pilgrims’ Trail.’ 1 British Pilgrimage Trust, 2019 2 3 New Pilgrim Tales of Milton Keynes uring June, July and growing city. We measured the age of The Rose; in this case the five petalled August, I gathered ancient oaks by linking arms around their Rosa rugosa which fills the municipal plants along the trail at massive tree trunks, made up stories from planting of MK, one of the oldest species of different locations and objects found discarded, or lost, on the rose and a real survivor in extreme times and in different pathway, created new myths about the environments. The symmetry of its five landscapes. In my studies on plant and folk birds and the blackberries and shared folk petals mirror the the path of Venus, the medicine, I’ve always been drawn to the tales of the past. There’s no limit to the guiding star. The Rose grows on the Tree connection between plants, landscapes and way you can share your stories of the of Life, it symbolises both heavenly their healing and energetic properties. journey through the landscape. perfection and earthly passion, These connections make sense when we regeneration and resurrection.The consider how plant communities are We heard about the passion that people Compass Rose is a symbol for true connected to each other, and to us. have for making community in each of the direction and navigating your way, Plantain, growing along the footpaths from areas; Mary from the retirement village unerring and impartial justice, with the Bradwell Abbey, soothing in their green devoting her time to creating new stories central point signifying the source of life. medicine, are exactly where we might need through tapestry kneelers in St Mary’s them to be if we were looking for a natural Church; Kate and Tony’s enthusiasm for Bees are crucial to our survival, as key blister plaster. Each column and line in the the green woodpecker and the badgers pollinators in our environmental web of tables I created for these three months, that must be protected, the continuing life. They symbolise immortality, rebirth, reflects these connections. I hope they unearthing of the history of the land and order, industry, soul. In folklore they often might suggest an approach to you for archival discoveries from Richard and represent the stars and are winged collecting your sensory experiences of Nick. messengers, carrying news across the places and plants along the trail and we’ve realms, bringing secret wisdom. They are included a blank table for you to play with. The planners of this brave new city linked to the oak and thunder gods. They I hope it’s a devotional plant practice that allowed the space to breathe and tell the are bestowers of eloquence and song, the feels really accessible to you. story of the past, acknowledging the old ‘birds of the Muses’ - the kind of traveller- boundaries and pathways, merging new guide to inspire you on your own pilgrim Nicky, the photographer and cyclist in our routes with ancient trackways and walk. collective, captivated by the hedgerows and hedgerows to ensure we share our walks magnificent landmark oaks along the trail, with our ancestors - from farmers to We hope you are guided by the wrote the song on page 24. She sings it too, soldiers, from merchants to pilgrims. waymarkers, delight in the scent and and you may be lucky enough to hear its strength of the rose, explore your own melodies as you walk or cycle the trail. When it came to waymarking the trail, we path through the landscape, sing your were inspired by Fanboy’s graffiti of a song and share your story of the Pilgrim People have shared their stories along the green man in the underpass by Shenley Trail in Milton Keynes. trail, through the woods, over a cuppa, in Wood and worked with artist Jamfree on company or one to one. Philippa didn’t so waymarking the trail using stencils and Alissa Pemberton, Nicky Green Man – Fanboy, much collect stories as people’s heartfelt involving members of the public/pilgrims Shenley Wood underpass, 2019 experiences of being out and about in their in choosing the sites as we walked and Kenny, Philippa Tipper favourite places, sharing their knowledge cycled. The three images that have formed Milton Keynes, September 2019 of the history, the plants and creatures, the waymarker sign are the rose, the their love for the changing seasons and the compass rose and the bee. 4 5 Tender Pilgrims e are on a pilgrimage in Will you walk with me and talk of I work on my Materia Medica each I plan to wear them as a crown which will parts that fit around contemplation? Will Mary cure me of my morning. My plant learning is never done. be committed to the fire. They say my hair our everyday lives. terrible visions? I bring moon herbs as Each season brings new changes and is the colour of the meadow in July. We offerings and wax from the meadow bees. observations to be noted. I have only a must try to keep the sun now that she is We gather rose petals to Revelation must be terrible and yet we small amount of paper though so I press here. There is plenty more for ripening. make a honeyed heart medicine. Taking walk towards it, tender pilgrims that we the plants between the thin leaves of my Five coloured ribbons lay upon my bed only what has already been visited by the are. Men make maps but do not care when bible and I make up songs to sing the awaiting the crown and the longest day. bees. The petals, poised to fall, gather they get lost. They have other machines children. My father gifts me two wriggling puppies easily. for knowing and are busy wrestling with from the litter in the farmyard. I name the land. Building moats and fishponds Today on my wanderings, I find a grove of them Juno and Hera. At Westbury Farm we watch the beekeeper around our hearts. Hemlock. Sun blazes in the little clearing separate the queen. Some of the bees get of the spinney. The tall stems of this I sleep longer in these early June days crushed to a propolis golden sludge. It is My father asked me how the knowledge powerful one darken the place with their despite the work there is to do. My night an indelicate operation taking place in the came to me, but my mother didn’t. She blood splashed stems. This deadly dreams are complicated, like puzzles. I am Great Hall while the weather outside knows it is the ancestral line of witches trickster masquerades as cow keck and still piecing them together during the day. foretells of gloom. and wise women. Father thought it might hog’s wort but if you listen, it will warn I draw maps of them but where they start be from the great farmers in our family. you. A foul portent emanates from its and finish is unclear. The patterns of Today we walked at a great pace. The Those that had cleared the land and grown feathery leaves.