The Old Way
(The Canterbury Camino)
An Ancient Pilgrimage from Southampton to Canterbury
The Old Way is a 240 mile, 19 day path from Southampton to Canterbury.
This path offers the perfect introduction to British Pilgrimage, with diverse natural beauty, astonishing holy places, well-kept paths, and deep realms of story to connect pilgrims with the lineage of the past.
I (re)discovered the Old Way in 2016, after 10 years of seeking a better way to walk to Canterbury. The route is marked on the 1360 ‘Gough Map’, known as Britain’s “oldest road map”. It shows routes taken by pilgrims during the heyday of British pilgrimage.
In the Medieval pilgrimage tradition, Canterbury was Britain’s great centre. Being close to Europe meant it enjoyed huge traffic from the continent. But when Henry VIII banned pilgrimage in Britain, he especially clamped down on memories of Thomas Becket, whose martyrdom in 1170 at the hands of Henry II’s knights curtailed the power of the King over the Church.
So for almost 500 years, this path was forgotten. Today, I have walked it from end to end 6 times, and I can report that the ways are open!
Come walk this ancient Canterbury Camino.
The Old Way Guidebook is coming soon!
