What to wear

During the middle Ages, pilgrims wore special clothing so that others would know that they were making a special journey.
Sir Walter Raleigh wrote a description of a pilgrim:

"Give me my scallop-shell of quiet,
My staff of faith to walk upon,
My scrip of joy, immortal diet,
My bottle of salvation,
My gown of glory, hope’s true gage;
And thus I’ll take my pilgrimage."

The scallop shell has become a symbol of pilgrimage. It was first worn as a badge by pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela on the north-west coast of Spain. The villagers living in this coastal town ate mainly fish. Once the fish had been eaten, the empty scallop shell was used by pilgrims as a spoon or food scoop.
Shells were also sold to pilgrims and rapidly became the symbol of pilgrimage.

The Saint David’s pilgrims' badge is the Sunset Shell, which can be found on the beaches around St. Davids (Dewisland).

"When you look towards the sun all shadows fall behind you,
and when you look to The Son of God, ‘The Way’ lies before you."