On 26 May 1926, 2000 women from villages around the town of Penygroes in Caernarfonshire arrived at the market town carrying the blue flag of peace. This was the beginning of the Peace Pilgrimage; the group travelled 150 miles in cars and charabancs, holding 15 meetings including in the ruins of Conwy castle, in Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, before 'joining forces' at Chester with women from the North West to march on Hyde Park in London, where over 10,000 gathered.
‘We members and supporters of the Peacemakers’ Pilgrimage, believing that law should take the place of war in the settlements of international disputes, urge His Majesty’s government to agree to submit all disputes to conciliation and arbitration, and by taking the lead in the proposed Disarmament Conference of the League of Nations to show that Great Britain does not intend to appeal to force’.
The Peace Pilgrimage led to the formation of the North Wales Women’s Peace Council, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

90th Anniversary of the Women's Peace Pilgrimage
In September 2016, for international peace day, WCIA and women peace activists from across North Wales marked the 90th anniversary by inviting Gwynedd communities to join a re-enactment of the women's peace pilgrimage, a women's peace march for today. A memorial slate plaque, funded by HLF and Wales for Peace, was unveiled on the 'South of France', the old Slate Quay on the waterfront outside the walls of Caernarfon Castle; and an exhibition celebrating Gwynedd's peace heritage was displayed in Oriel Pendeitsch throughout Autumn 2016, as part of the programme of community events accompanying the Poppies: Weeping Window sculpture.
View the original Pathe footage from Caernarfon Castle of the women's peace pilgrimage.
View a short clip of the 2016 Women's Peace March.
View Flickr album of the Oriel Pendeitsch Peace exhibition.
Discover more about the Caernarfon Peace Trail.
Calling Volunteers and Community Groups: there was also a South Wales Womens Peace Pilgrimage from Swansea in 1926 - a hidden history about which little is known! It is referenced in WILPF records and writings of suggragist and peace campainer Maude Courteney. Could you help WCIA uncover the story behind this?