# The Gathering Place: A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times - Hardcover

by **Mary Colwell** (Author)

'Deeply poetic.' **CAROLINE LUCAS MP**  
'A masterpiece of storytelling.' **NICK MAYHEW-SMITH**  
'Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity.' **PATRICK LAURIE**  
'An unforgettable story.' **MICHAEL MCCARTHY**  
'Inspiring.' **JEREMY MYNOTT**  
**'**Brave, tough and surprisingly funny.' **ROGER MORGAN-GRENVILLE  
**\-  
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Mary Colwell makes a 500-mile solo pilgrimage along the Camino Francés, winding through forests, mountains, farmland, industrial sprawls and places of worship, weaving her experiences of the Camino with natural history, spirituality and modern environmentalism.**

Pilgrims have always walked in times of upheaval, pitching themselves against weather, hunger, thirst and sometimes pain as they tread the paths their ancestors followed before them.

In _The Gathering Place_, author, nature campaigner and veteran solo walker Mary Colwell undertakes a 500-mile pilgrimage along the Camino Francés in northern Spain at a unique moment in history - a time of pandemic, profound political change, and a climate and biodiversity emergency.

In a typical year, more than 300,000 people walk this route or part of it, but in between lockdowns in 2020, Mary was virtually alone. The modern world weaves in and out of the Camino's worn trackway, providing a focus for contemplation and a place where memories and experiences can gather. There are times of intense spirituality, meetings with a demon slayer, strange goings-on and magical tales, and the constant backdrop of nature with all its complexity and wonder.

In this delightful book, Mary's winter pilgrimage weaves a personal tale with a walk that millions have undertaken over the centuries. _The Gathering Place_ is a beautiful, thoughtful and, at times, humorous journey of both body and soul.

### Author Biography

**Mary Colwell** is an author, producer and campaigner for nature. She has written for _The Guardian_, _BBC Wildlife_, _The Tablet_, _Country Life_ and many other publications. She has made TV and radio documentaries for the BBC Natural History Unit and has published three books: _John Muir - The Scotsman Who Saved America's Wild Places_, _Curlew Moon_ and _Beak, Tooth and Claw_.

Mary has won a Sony Radio Academy Gold Award, the David Bellamy Award for her conservation work on curlews, the WWT Marsh Award for Conservation, the BTO Dilys Breese Medal for outstanding science communication and, in 2022, she was awarded the prestigious RSPB Medal. In 2020, she set up the charity Curlew Action. Mary also spearheaded the successful campaign to introduce a GCSE in Natural History in England from 2025.

**Number of Pages:** 256

**Dimensions:** 0.7 x 9.1 x 6.1 IN

**Publication Date:** June 13, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 26.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 26.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Gathering Place: A Winter Pilgrimage Through Changing Times - Hardcover

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