Pilgrims' Way
The Pilgrims' Way ( pilgrimage ) is a way of of pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire to the tomb Thomas Becket in Canterbury in Kent was taken. Winchester was a bishopric, and also the former capital of England until the 11th century. Becker's tomb was the most important in the country, especially after his canonization in 1173 until the abolition of the monasteries in 1538 , and it attracted pilgrims from near and far.
The street name is a bit misleading, as the route corresponds to an ancient road from Celtic times (500-450 BC), which ran in an east-west direction to the southern slopes of the North Downs . In doing so, she made use of the natural conditions, avoiding the sticky loam soils in the valleys as well as the gravel-loam mixture on the peaks. The route followed the entire North Downs almost to Folkestone , then the Great Stour Valley at Chilham to reach Canterbury.
route
Modern maps partially show the following route: Farnham , south of Guildford , north of Gomshall , north of Dorking and Reigate , through Merstham , north of Chaldon , Limpsfield and Westerham , through Otford , Kemsing and Wrotham , north of Trottiscliffe , towards Cuxton , where the Way crossed the Medway .
South of Rochester , the path then crosses Burham , Boxley and Detling , and then runs south-east to Harrietsham and Lenham .
It then continues southeast along the heights of the Downs past Charing to Wye , then exits the Downs, turns north and follows the Great Stour Valley through Chilham and finally Canterbury.
The North Downs Way runs largely parallel to the old Pilgrim's Way. Hikers wishing to walk the Pilgrim's Way are recommended to follow the North Downs Way as an alternative.
Footnotes
- ^ A b Wright, Christopher John (1971): A Guide to the Pilgrims' Way. Constable and Co, London.
- ↑ The Ramblers ( Memento of the original dated November 30, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
literature
Ueli Brunner: On the Pilgrims' Way to Canterbury, Ultreïa Verlag, Zurich 2003, ISBN 3-9521534-3-5