Pilot Project Launch - John Taylor sets off
On this day in 1652 John Taylor set off on his 'English and Welsh pilgrimage [...] to compass with [his] travels famous Wales'. I've produced a modern-spelling edition which is now on this website. It's a working copy, meant to be accessible, with links to further information.
I'll be tweeting John Taylor's eight week journey in real time from @DrJ_Gregory using the hashtag #WaterPoet2017 and I'll be putting out the occasional blog post from here too as John Taylor progresses. I'd love to know what you make of Taylor's account and whether you think some of the places he describes are recognisable today. I'd also be interested to hear from fellow travel writers. John Taylor was an experienced travel writer and traveller. Get in touch if you have comments or would like to write a blog post. He did travel with his horse, called Dun, but the horse clearly had a mind of its own and the Water Poet seems to have walked a fair part of the way:
But there be some few that do understand.
'Tis merry walking with a horse in hand.
This website also includes a Google Route Map of the journey, which I will say more about in a future blog, and a journey timeline. I've also included my book chapter on John Taylor and I will be sharing some work from pupils of Penglais School, Aberystwyth, shortly.
