Establishing and analysing the sphere of influence of Saints Oswald and Wulfstan of Worcester, c. 950 to c. 1400

Pilgrimage to shrine centres in medieval England was a significant event for the community to undertake, as well as an important source of income for the shrine itself. The level of interest that a shrine could generate was dependent upon a variety of factors, stemming from both the saint’s actions and the establishment of their political and familial networks when they were alive, and the efforts of the clergy administering the shrine and popularising the relics after their death. This study investigates the sphere of influence of a shrine, using a detailed analysis of the lives and cults of Saints Oswald and Wulfstan of Worcester as a case study. An analysis of the manuscripts written celebrating the saints’ lives has been combined with data detailing the foundations and church dedications with links to Worcester, locations of the saints’ relics, material culture related to them, and details of their documented miracles to build a picture of the geographical extent of their influence, and the longevity of their cults. Using this variety of both archaeological and historical sources, this interdisciplinary study builds a methodology which can subsequently be applied to other shrine centres to compare their influence on the medieval community.