David Gilbert Wright has been working on this long-term project for over 40 years. It is located in the British Isles in what he describes as a predominantly atheist country. Ireland was probably the most Christian country in the British Isle but it is losing popularity. Christianity has not completely disappeared, just gone out of sight. Small pockets of it can be found and occasionally it becomes very visible when pilgrims emerge into plain sight.
 
This book begins back in the very early 1990s in the Republic of Ireland with the world famous Croagh Patrick pilgrimage in County Mayo on what is known as Reeks Sunday in July each year. David climbed the 3000 feet high peak along with around two and a half other devout Roman Catholics. Many do the climb and descent bare footed and some even kneeling as a way of demonstrating their penance.
 
The second pilgrimage featured in the book is the one dating back to Tudor times that begins at Kings Lynn and ends 3 days later at the Holy Shrine of Walsingham Abbey. David joined the pilgrims at the beginning of the third day and walked across country with them over the twelve miles to the Slipper Chapel. Here, the pilgrims remove their shoes and walk the remaining Holy mile in prayer.
 
The final pilgrimage in the book is one is called Northern Cross. Pilgrims walk from the west coast of Scotland near to Glasgow across country for 7 days, ending up at Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland. David joined the group at Beal on the mainland and made the crossing of the tidal sands to the Holy Island.
 
 
This is the fourth book by David Gilbert Wright in the f8 Documentary Monograph series. You will like this small book if you are interested in visual anthropology and black & white photography of the past.