A CHURCH group has launched a £5,000 fundraising campaign to create a spiritual route to Tintern Abbey.

The proposed holy route is the brainchild of The Friends of Our Lady of Tintern, an ecumenical group set up after the discovery of fragments of a 13th century Virgin and Child statue in the Cistercian abbey.

They commissioned sculptor Philip Chatfield 12 years ago to recreate the statue, which has since been installed in the ancient monument, and the group organises the annual Sung Vespers service there

Now members want to set up a dedicated spiritual walk based on a medieval pilgrimage route, which they hope can be incorporated in the Wales-wide Cistercian Way, and which will include signage and wooden sculptures.

A Friends spokesperson said: “The idea behind the walk is not solely for the purposes of rambling, but also one which can be used for reflective meditation and to learn about the history of Tintern and the Cistercian Way.”

Walkers on the nationwide route can explore the ancient Cistercian abbeys of Wales, secluded hill churches, Roman roads, pilgrimage routes, canal towpaths, Stone Age burial sites, castles and industrial heritage.

The Sung Vespers service attracts hundreds of visitors, with this year’s due to take place in the 888-year-old abbey on Sunday, September 8, at 3pm.

For more information, see www.ourladyoftintern.co.uk