On a blazing Good Friday, the hottest day of the year so far, the good-web-developer-him-indoors, two teenagers (plus one girlfriend) and three bikes dropped me back to St Martin's church in Cheriton near Folkestone where I finished back in February, to take on the final leg of this epic 200-mile challenge.
The church was closed but a church warden was just opening up to sort out the flowers ready for Easter Sunday so I managed to pop in and marvel anew at the 1,000-years of history encompassed in the building, my own contribution to it (as a chorister and even, briefly, a bellringer) a tiny, tiny part of the trials, triumphs and tribulations of humanity that has passed down its nave.
Marvelling complete, I looked ahead to the task of the day. The route planned took me up the Elham Valley Way (EVW), passing through the Kentish countryside on highways, byways, disused railways and footpaths to eventually meet the North Downs Way (and Via Francigena) which runs into Canterbury, a total of 33km (about 20 miles).
Heading west away from St Martins, a short 20 minutes brought me to the EVW, turning north to cross the M20 and skirt round the western end of the Channel Tunnel terminal and then turning right off the A20 to head into Newington, a charming little village with a little railway museum and occasionally serenaded by the (literal) siren sounds of the Eurotunnel operations. The railway museum heralds the start of a long stretch of disused railway which handily cuts through the downland, although didn't completely negate the need for a steep climb just outside of the village of Etchinghill. A welcome downhill stretch brought me into Lyminge, and the opportunity to dip my toes into St Eadburg's Well, a fresh water spring which was the water source for the village until the mains got plugged in in 1905, and named for a miraculous Abbess of Thanet (the story around this well forms an excellent rabbit hole to disappear down- follow the link to learn more if you happen to be a student of Kent archaeology).
Headed across open farmland, surrounded by sheep and their lambs (feeling slightly guilty about my impending Easter Sunday roast) the path tracks the Nail Bourne river which rises at St Eadburg's Well, with rolling hills either side. A contemplative stretch of countryside which would have been covered by many a foot shuttling between the villages of East Kent, and of course headed to Canterbury for pilgrimage or for market. I didn't stop in Elham, the next village on the way, but pushed on along Hall Downs to meet the road. Not wanting to walk on the road I followed the EVW east and up the downs, through bluebell woods and ploughed fields (rewarding myself with tea and a snack for being almost half way), and then back down and back up Baldock Downs on the other side. Phew! Hottest day of the year I remind you!
Headed north east through Covert Wood towards Barham, down the wonderfully named Jumping Downs, the EVW passes through farmland along a bridle path and then turns left to head north around Barham and into Kingston. Another charming village with the bonus of a fab pub called the Black Robin, who, I can attest, serve an excellent sausage sandwich. The pub is right on the turnpike and its not hard to imagine a highwayman or smuggling type ('black robin' is Kentish slang for smuggler) coming back here to hang up his muskets and have a pint after hard days highwayman-ing (or smuggling).
Refreshed, I followed the Nail Bourne northwards towards Bridge passing through Bourne Park, with a Queen Anne stately home and parkland that looks like it belongs in a production of Pride and Prejudice (yes, I know the dates don't line up). Bridge itself is a larger village on the ancient Roman Road into what was then 'Durovernum'; I turned away from the village and crossed under the A2 and into Patrixbourne (a village with interesting little houses and carvings!), before turning north west to pick up the North Downs Way on the final stretch into the City of Canterbury.
This final approach was open country, miles of yellow rapeseed and redolent of summertime in northern France. Which was appropropriate because this part of the North Downs Way is also on the Via Francigena, the long distance footpath that links Canterbury with Rome, through France and the St Bernard Pass, and waymarked by the little dude with the walking staff and the bag on his back. (I already have a guide to the first half of that little jaunt- let's see what happens eh?).
A mile or so of open country led onto a public byway that gave me a great view over the City spread ahead of me and my first glimpse of the cathedral that was my final destination.....
Entering Canterbury's suburbs, the EVW/NDW/VF took me through its historic streets, past the church of St Martin (my second of the day), the Abbey of St Augustine and finally into the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral itself. Just in time for for Good Friday evensong; it was a transcendant service, the voices of the choir filling this immense and ancient building, and a fitting end to this journey.
Unlike in Chichester, I opted to keep my boots on this time.
I'm not going to reflect on the whole of the Old Way experience here, but will do another 'reflections' post. Instead I'll leave the final word at journey's end to the Archbishop himself:
“Pilgrimage, like the journey through life, begins with possibilities. We set out with a sense of purpose, but with not much certainty. Our journeys are not well marked; we find ourselves in places we don’t expect with people we don’t expect. As we journey, if we are open to possibilities........ we find ourselves changed."- Justin Welby
Final map of the Old Way here:
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