Planning a PILGRIMS TRAIL Visit

The Pilgrims Trail is a circular route of about 40 miles including sections of beautiful rural countryside and busier towns and villages. Keen cyclists may be able to take in the route in a day, but most visitors would need a private motor vehicle in order to complete the trail as many of the sites are not served by public bus routes.

It is possible to arrange a tour to include transport: we suggest you contact the Pilgrim Roots team via info@pilgrimroots.org or 01777 713749 in the first instance so we can find out your requirements and direct you to our friendly local guides.

Occasionally, local coach tours are run which visit the trail with local experts for a small fee. When these events are organised, we will advertise them on our website.  

The churches the Separatists knew are open by arrangement, please contact the Pilgrim Roots team if you would like to make sure you can get inside the buildings as part of your visit.

There are external interpretation boards at all the sites along the trail, and audio versions of these can be downloaded from the trail page. Our Where It All Began videos are also available on the trail page. These are a great resource if you are unable to arrange access, as they were filmed within the trail churches.

The interpretation boards are designed to be viewed from nearby hard-standing paths, but these may become slippery in wet weather so please do take care. 

Mondays-Saturdays there are public toilets available during the day in Retford and in Gainsborough. Babworth, St Swithun’s and Gainsborough United Reformed Church have toilet facilities when the churches are open. Bassetlaw Museum, where the Pilgrims Gallery is located, has toilet facilities including disabled access and baby changing facilities. In Retford, there is a changing places toilet on Chancery Lane, approximately a five minute walk from the Museum.

Retford and Gainsborough host many wonderful independent cafes and eateries where you can find refreshment on your journey. Bawtry, neighbouring Austerfield, is also home to lovely restaurants and cafes. Many of the villages have local pubs, but it is best to check their opening hours before travelling. There is no café at Bassetlaw Museum, but visitors are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy in the Museum’s garden.

Some of the churches have souvenirs, such as tea towels and china mugs, available for visitors to purchase. For more general gifts and tokens, the towns of Retford, Gainsborough and Bawtry are home to a wide array of shops, and Bassetlaw Museum also has a small, well-stocked gift shop.