The curious case of Santa’s finger and the story of Christian pilgrimage

How did an English abbey come to own a fragment of Santa’s finger? And what has this got to do with a long tradition of spiritual journeys? Beginning with a relic from St Nicholas that found its way all the way to Battle Abbey in Sussex, we’re lacing up our boots to follow the history of Christian pilgrimage around the world. Dr Michael Carter and modern-day pilgrim Luke Sherlock @englishpilgrim help Amy Matthews understand why people travelled for spiritual purposes in the past and how we continue to undertake life-changing journeys in the modern day. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show. Join English Heritage: ⁠ Podcast listeners can get 20% off the first year of an annual membership. Use code POD20 at checkout.* Support our work: ⁠ The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a limited company, no. 07447221, registered in England and Wales. *Offer is available through the use of this code and valid for new memberships by annual Direct Debit only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, on life memberships or renewals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The curious case of Santa’s finger and the story of Christian pilgrimage is an episode from The English Heritage Podcast by English Heritage.

This episode is 49:15 long.

This episode was published on Dec 11, 2025.

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