In the village of Barnstable, close to where the Pilgrim Fathers arrived from England in the Mayflower in 1620, the Beechwood Inn has a more inviting ghost story to tell.

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Money for the work came from vigorous fundraising by local residents plus contributions from environmental body WREN, the Pilgrim Trust, Leche Trust, Maud Elkington and the Lincolnshire Freemasons.

BBC: Lincolnshire

The project has also received funding from Shropshire Council, the town council, Pilgrim Trust and Shropshire Hills Leader programme - an EU and government-funded scheme.

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All Hindus believe that a dip in holy waters washes away sin and many from across the country travel to pilgrim towns like Haridwar and Pushkar to take the holy dip.

BBC: A certificate for holiness in India

Rocamadour was for centuries a stop on the great pilgrim route from Paris to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

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As the zoo would become more involved in the field project, Dr Pilgrim said that it was also an opportunity to widen the focus of the research carried out from the camp.

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