Seeking the Scallop Shell

Before the Reformation the desire to go on pilgrimage was almost universal. It was a part of life. For some it was simply an act of piety; others wished to obtain healing.

Few would have doubted that by visiting a saint’s shrine or holy place they would gain indulgences to offset against their sins and fast-track themselves into heaven when they died. The scallop shell, symbol of St James, became the recognised badge of pilgrims everywhere. In this book Marilyn Parkes-Seddon recounts her experiences visiting twenty-two places of pilgrimage in Britain. Her journeys take her from the tiny cell where St Julian lived in self-imposed incarceration for forty years to the unexpected jewel of Samye Ling Buddhist monastery in Dumfries & Galloway and the awesome grandeur of Durham Cathedral.