Pilgrims Way to Canterbury

"Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote..." - so begins Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the literary masterpiece that immortalized the medieval pilgrimage to the shrine of St Thomas Becket. The Pilgrims Way follows an ancient trackway along the North Downs, connecting Winchester's Old Minster to Canterbury Cathedral.

📜 History & Significance

The route predates Christianity, following a prehistoric ridgeway that may be 5,000 years old. After Thomas Becket's martyrdom in 1170, it became one of England's most important pilgrimage routes. Becket's murder by knights of Henry II shocked medieval Europe, and within three years he was canonized. Pilgrims flocked to his shrine, seeking healing at the place where his blood was spilled.

Canterbury became England's holiest site, second in Christendom only to Rome and Jerusalem. The pilgrimage inspired Chaucer's literary masterpiece, written around 1387, whose vivid characters - the Knight, the Pardoner, the Wife of Bath - brought medieval England to life. Though Henry VIII destroyed Becket's shrine in 1538, pilgrims continue to walk this ancient way.

🥾 Route Overview

The Pilgrims Way stretches approximately 200 km from Winchester to Canterbury, typically completed in 8-10 days. The route follows the ancient trackway along the southern slopes of the North Downs, offering sweeping views across the Weald of Kent.

From Winchester, the path heads east through Hampshire and Surrey, passing Farnham and Guildford before entering Kent at Westerham. The final stages cross the orchards and hop gardens of Kent through Maidstone and Ashford to Canterbury. The North Downs Way National Trail follows much of the same route.

☩ Key Pilgrimage Sites

Winchester Cathedral, one of Europe's largest, marks the western terminus - a site of Christian worship since the 7th century and resting place of Saxon kings. The route passes the ancient Carmelite priory at Aylesford, where pilgrims still gather.

Canterbury Cathedral stands as the journey's culmination - seat of the Archbishop, mother church of the Anglican Communion, and site of Becket's martyrdom. The spot where he fell, now marked by a single candle, draws pilgrims from around the world.