THIS BOOK TAKES the St. Thomas Way— a new heritage route from Swansea to Hereford launched in 2018 and inspired by a real medieval pilgrimage— and explores multiple dimensions of the project and its contexts through a collection of critical essays, as well as creative and reflective pieces. In the spirit of this series, “Places and Spaces: Medieval to Modern,” the book aims to find diverse audiences, both within a range of academic specialisms and beyond, including those working in heritage and tourism, as well as individuals with a personal interest in the themes and places explored here. So: what is this book about, and who is it for?

This book is for readers interested in medieval cults of the saints and pilgrimage traditions, especially those of St. Thomas of Hereford (also known as St. Thomas Cantilupe), as well as medieval history more broadly, including the politics and culture of the medieval March of Wales (the historical border region between England and Wales). This book is also for those interested in continuing traditions of pilgrimage and in pilgrimage practices today: both academics and professionals working in areas such as faith tourism, and also individuals with their own personal interest— whether grounded in a religious faith or not— in pilgrimage. More widely, this book's exploration of the St. Thomas Way as a visitor experience has something to offer for readers interested in heritage, heritage tourism, and tourism as a route to regional development, from heritage practitioners and professionals to those working in local government or in community projects.

This is also a book about approaches to translating academic research into realworld activities and outcomes. It presents the St. Thomas Way project as a case study in transposing scholarly research into public “impacts” or benefits, with a discussion of the objectives, funding mechanisms, and project management involved (especially in the Introduction). It is for anyone interested in the process of developing research into public-facing projects— including those working on public history, but also in other humanities contexts and beyond— and for anyone looking for transferable methodologies and insights, or simply the opportunity to think critically about the role of “impact” in scholarship today.