Town to celebrate historic Spain pilgrimage links

A Berkshire town is preparing to embrace its medieval links with north-west Spain with a celebration of an ancient pilgrimage.

Reading is the official start point of the English leg of the famous Camino de Santiago route.

The 68.5-mile (110km) section, known as St James' Way, begins at the Reading Abbey ruins and ends in Southampton, from where pilgrims historically travelled by boat to Spain, before finishing at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

The Walk the Spanish Way Fair on 25 April is hoping to bring the experience of walking the Spanish stretch of the pilgrimage a little closer to home.

It comes after the unveiling of a milestone marker in Reading in November. The granite marker, which was shipped from Spain, marks the start of St James' Way.

Reading has been linked with Spain since the medieval period, with Reading Abbey being an important pilgrimage site during the 12th Century.

The celebration later this month on Broad Street will feature traditional music, exhibitions and Galician food, as well as screenings and audiovisual content about the Camino walk.

Representatives of the Camino Ingles (English Way) and Camino Fisterra-Muxia, the route known as the final stretch, will also make an appearance.

The fair was organised by the Provincial Council of A Coruña, Turismo de Galicia, the Spanish Embassy in London, and is backed by Reading's Economy & Destination Agency (Reda).

Alex Brannen, from Reda, said: "With an ever-growing interest in outdoor and walking tourism, Reading is indeed fortunate to be linked to the most famous pilgrimage route in the world.

"This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in walking one of the famous Spanish caminos, visiting Galicia or walking the St James' Way here in the UK, to find out more and get inspired for their next holiday."