The Pilgrim’s Way Winchester to Canterbury 147 miles The Pilgrims' Way is an ancient track between Winchester and Canterbury, through Hampshire, Surrey and Kent. Though not itself a single promoted long distance path, it is approximated by the St Swithun's and North Downs Ways. From Winchester the St Swithun's Way seeks to trace the pilgrim routes to Farnham in what is now a busy transport corridor. From Farnham the Pilgrim's Way is mainly coincident with much of the North Downs Way National Trail. The North Downs Way follows the crest of the southern escarpment of the North Downs or footpaths and tracks along their lower slopes while the Pilgrim's Way often keeps to the spring-line. There are views over the Weald to the South Downs and several steepish ascents where the ridge is cut by valleys, notably those of the Mole at Box Hill, the Darent at Otford, the Medway at Rochester, and the Stour near Wye. The route mostly provides fairly easy walking through woods, over chalk grassland, minor roads and, especially in Kent, through orchards and farmland. Extract from Long Distance Walkers Association website www.ldwa.org.uk Bev used to live in East Grinstead, West Sussex, which is a few miles south of the route. She used to work in Hampshire as an IT salesperson and later trained as a minister with the Anglicans, partly in the Canterbury diocese. Thus, for her, it is also retracing the pilgrimage of her life journey to date. All dates are approximations. Actual walking dates will be affected by the weather, interesting things and people to see along the way, and blisters… |
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