The Celtic Way.

                                        FAQ’s

What was The Celtic Way Walk?

The Celtic Way was about the features left upon the land by its earliest travellers and settlers. It includes paths and sites from the prehistoric period, up to the sites of the early Celtic churches. Historically, the Celtic Way Walk extends from our earliest roots forward towards the Sixth century, the age of the Celtic Saints, and the Arthurian legends in early poetry.

How did it begin?

A combination of map-work, footwork, and a lot of background reading went into choices about paths. Then the route was tested.

What drove the idea?

The Celtic Way as a walking route and a written guide to the sites was an undertaking to hold on to our remaining ancient sites and paths, to visit them, to appreciate them, and to keep them in awareness.

What was the original guide?

The first edition of The Celtic Way set out the route. It was written by volunteers and all parts of the route were walked in the years of writing. Each person worked on the part of the route that passed through his or her area, bringing local knowledge and experience to the guide. 

What about Path Access?

The route was checked for right of access, and often it is clear-cut because walking is on a way-marked or signed path, or a track across open common, or a stone or metalled lane. Unsigned walking across farmland and through farm building complexes is the time when walkers are less confident. If you are confronted by an owner who challenges access, please give way, and contact with the local Ramblers’ Group or Footpaths’ Officer. We checked these things twenty years ago and owners change, perspectives alter, and paths change. DO NOT DEPEND ON THESE WALK DETAILS.

What about mobility access?

Any updated material will offer some information about terrain and has people with differing mobility doing its revision.

What about Country Code?

The country code is based on common sense and courtesy. We all need to respect the property, safety and environment of the land we cross. All land has an owner who works it, whether for tourism, farming, forestry, etc. and it only takes one careless or stupid person to leave a gate ajar and cause stock to wander. Dogs have a great capacity for getting us into trouble. Much of the walking on the Celtic Way, once it moves into the countryside, is not dog-friendly. 

And finally, the name of the route?

We don’t know what the earliest inhabitants of Britain called themselves. Celtic defines the area and the languages remaining in Man, Orkney, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. These tongues are the closest we will ever get to hearing the voices of our ancestors. There is a large corpus of work forcing a revision of theories about who the Celts are and were. The route goes through the Celtic lands, where Celtic languages are spoken. What else could it be called?