• A STONE & ECCLESHALL PROFILE f David Pott achieves his vision, Stone will be on the Midlands’first waymarked pilgrimage route - the Two ISaints Way. Spanning 85 miles between and , it would be dedicated to their cathedrals’ patron saints - St Werberga and St Chad respectively. Walk This Way ... On moving to Stone in 2007, David delved into our town’s founding story. In the pages of Norman Cope’s Christine Conlin meets a man on a mission to bring back pilgrims to Stone “Stone in , A History of a Market Town”,he found the place had links to them both. David, who aims to create a modern-day pilgrimage, The route follows the towpath through Stone and As depicted on the High Street railings, Stone owes has already trialled the route. While serious walkers Aston (where St Chad’s bones were found at Aston its existence to Wulfhere, who ruled Mercia from 650 – would complete it in four days, most people would do Chapel in 1831) and continues to Burston, site of St 675 AD. One of his strongholds was Bury Bank,the hillfort it in a more leisurely five–seven days, he thinks. Section Rufin’s Chapel and well. Leaving the canal at Salt, the overlooking the Darlaston roundabout at Meaford. one takes you from Chester Cathedral along the route crosses Hopton Heath to . In section four, Wulfhere was a pagan, but in order to marry the Shropshire Union Canal to via Beeston the route joins the Heart of England Way across Christian princess Ermenilda of Kent, he agreed to Castle. In section two, the route continues eastwards Cannock Chase to end at St Chad’s Well in Lichfield. convert. But his conversion was in name only, so while via Wynbunbury, Engelsea Brook and Apedale to the “The Two Saints Way ties in with the new enthusiasm their daughter Werberga was raised as a Christian, their Saxon Cross at Stoke Minster. for the active spirituality of pilgrimage,” said David. sons,Wulfad and Rufin, were not. In section three, the route comes through our area “Old pilgrimage routes, like the paths along the North When Wulfad and Rufin were out hunting, they taking in Trentham parish church with its Saxon Wales path to Bardsey are being walked again. St encountered the saintly monk Chad, whose mission preaching cross and continuing via the publicly Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose in the Scottish Borders to was to convert the savage Mercians. Both princes were accessible parts of Trentham Estate to Tittensor. After the Holy Island of Lindisfarne is having a positive attracted by Christianity and visited Chad several times crossing Tittensor Chase close to Bury Bank, the route impact on the local economy. In 1997, 50% of B&B in secret. But word got out to Wulfhere’s general takes the A51 down to Darlaston and regains the canal bookings in the Northumbrian town of Wooler were Werebode, who had hopes of marrying Werberga. at Meaford. from St Cuthbert’s Way walkers.” Werberga however, refused him, having vowed to devote herself to piety. The jealous Werebode then poisoned the King’s mind with stories of his sons plotting against him. In a fit of rage,Wulfhere is said to have slain them,Wulfad at Stone and Rufin at Burston. The broken-hearted Ermenilda had her sons buried together at the spot where Wulfad fell, and built up a great cairn of stones which gave the place its first name, Stanes. Full of remorse, Wulfhere confessed to Chad, who converted him to Christianity, this time sincerely. Wulfhere and Ermenilda built a church on their sons’ grave, to which pilgrims would come, bearing a stone for their cairn. Werberga entered a convent, became superintendent of all the religious houses in Mercia and is credited with many miracles. She may have been connected with the nunnery at Trentham and is said to have died there in 699. In 875, when the Danes invaded far into Mercia, her remains were taken for safekeeping to Chester, where the present cathedral was built over her shrine. Pilgrims made their way to Chester, and Stone may have been on their route. Evidence for this is that Newgate, the gate they would have entered Chester from the south-east, was once called “St Wulfad’s Gate”, explains David. A flourishing pilgrimage to St Chad’s shrine in Lichfield Cathedral is recorded both by Bede and a 13th century chronicler, who noted that the large numbers of pilgrims were causing disruption to services. A stone trough where pilgrims washed their feet can be still seen there today. • Pilgrim’s progress: David is doing the ground work to create The Two Saints Way David claims his brainchild has met several spiritually significant long with “entirely positive reactions” distance walks. In 1989, he led a from the bodies who now sit on his group on a walk of English-Welsh steering committee. reconciliation along Offa’s Dyke. In They include Chester and Lichfield 1997, he completed a 40-day solo Cathedrals, British Waterways, the 680-mile walk from Iona, the home councils along the route and of St Columba, to Canterbury, seat of Staffordshire University. St Augustine, to celebrate the The committee is currently 1400th anniversary of Christianity in grappling with the issues of signage, Britain. information en route, access, In 2007, before even thinking of marketing and hospitality. moving to Stone, David found The waymarking would have two himself walking through Barlaston symbols, proposes David; St Chad’s on the March of the Abolitionists, cross on signs to Lichfield and a marking the 200th anniversary of flying goose on the signs to Chester. the abolition of the transatlantic (St Werberga is credited with slave trade.In a Christian response to bringing a roast goose back to life!) this appalling legacy, marchers wore Information boards along the Way chains and yokes on parts of the would include matrix barcodes route linking London, Bristol and giving mobile phone users links to Liverpool. websites offering extra information At Barlaston, they were welcomed or inspiration. “It could be a by members of the Wedgwood visualisation of a historical site, like family (Josiah Wedgwood was an the former Augustinian Abbey near abolitionist.) St Michael’s Church Stone, a theme As a NHS addictions counsellor for a meditation - or a prayer,” specialising in emotional health, suggests David. David often encounters patients Access to historically relevant sites who describe themselves as “stuck”. on private land, such as caves near This leads him to believe that, with Hopton (perfect for a hermit) and help, people can “literally find their Bury Bank itself, is yet to be resolved. way out of their difficulties by But besides creating a Two Saints making a journey.” Way guide and developing circular “Staffordshire County Council walks along the route, David has magazine recently reported the plans for a “Pilgrim’s Pack” and has clear improvement of a group of already sounded out hostelries people with mental health issues along the route about introducing a from Uttoxeter who climbed promotional ‘Pilgrim’s Pint!’ Snowdon together,” he reports.“The Their fundraising target is challenge of completing the Two £111,000. “Although this a lot of Saints’ Way would offer both a money in these days of cutbacks, we physical and a spiritual dimension.” feel this project is fundable,” says Like our town’s medieval David. “It would benefit the local pilgrims, perhaps their modern-day economy and improve historical successors could carry a stone to set interpretation especially after the down at a special place along the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard, Two Saints Way, David suggests. when Mercian history is on the up.” “Psychologically, it would symbolise If all goes to plan, the Way could getting a whole load off your mind.” open in 2012. Meanwhile, David Follow the link from David’s story hopes to trial it with special groups. on www.alittlebitofstone.com David “Hopefully, churches will open their can be contacted by email on church halls for us to spend the [email protected] night in,” he explains. An American visitor already walked it this year. • Family feud: the iconic railings at A seasoned hiker and committed the top of the High Street retell the Christian, David has completed story of Stone’s origins