Augustine Camino

In the year 597, a Benedictine monk named Augustine landed on the shores of Kent with forty companions, sent by Pope Gregory the Great to convert the Anglo-Saxons. The Augustine Camino retraces his historic journey from Ramsgate to Rochester, marking the mission that restored Christianity to England after the departure of Rome.

📜 History & Significance

When Augustine stepped ashore at Ebbsfleet in 597, he carried not only the Gospel but also the organizational structure of the Roman Church. King Æthelberht of Kent, married to a Frankish Christian princess, received him cautiously but soon converted - and with him, his kingdom. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, establishing the see that would lead English Christianity for over a millennium.

The Augustine Camino commemorates this foundational moment in English Christian history. The route passes through the landscapes where the faith was first preached to the Anglo-Saxons, connecting sites associated with Augustine's mission and its immediate aftermath.

🥾 Route Overview

The Augustine Camino stretches approximately 100 km from Ramsgate on the Kent coast to Rochester Cathedral, typically completed in 4-5 days of walking. The route passes through the countryside of East Kent, following paths and lanes through this historic corner of England.

From Ramsgate, the trail passes near Ebbsfleet (the traditional landing site), through Minster-in-Thanet where Augustine established his first monastery, and onward through the Kent countryside. The final approach reaches Rochester, whose cathedral was founded by one of Augustine's companions.

☩ Key Pilgrimage Sites

The Priory of Aylesford, though founded later in the 13th century by Carmelites, offers a place of pilgrimage and reflection along the route. Rochester Cathedral, the journey's destination, was established by Bishop Justus, one of Augustine's companions, in 604.

Canterbury, though not on the direct route, stands nearby as the culmination of Augustine's mission - the mother church of English Christianity and still the seat of the Archbishop today.