Worting to Aylesford

Today was the longest walk of the week, it turned out to be 17 miles! 

Dummer

I was fortunate that my hosts were walking with me to Dummer this morning, a section of 4.5 miles.  The beginning followed a Roman Road which also is the edge of Basingstoke. On the left hand side housing estates and fields on the right hand side. We came to a farm and teak garden furniture factory, who had an old petrol pump in front. 

 

 

Fortunately we did not need any! 

After that we had a complicated cross of the A30 and M3 which run in parallel there. and then we entered Dummer and had a break all Saints Church 

 

To Preston Candover 

At Dummer my hosts returned home and I went on only to return as I forgot my pole. From here the walking was more difficult it were main stony tracks with a grass in the middle. The latter walked best as it was more gentle for my now sore feet. Blisters playing up! 

I did not go into the village of Preston Candover, as that would cost more time and I hoped to arrive in good time for a gathering at Alresford Methodist Church with tea and cakes! So I carried on

To Upper Wield

This was a long stretch on road, harvested cornfields (with deer) and road again, going up a the time even in the village as it is Upper Wield. 

But the church St James was lovely  (11C Norman) 

I had a bit of a break there and then went along the 

Oxdrove Way 

This is a four mile track just outside of Upper Wield going to Old Alresford. Beautiful scenery but a bit difficult walking. 

Alresford 

I went straight from Old Alresford to New Alresford, passing by their famous watercress meadows, which in the past went on a special train to London. 

By now I was seriously late for the tea & cake as I arrived at 5pm at the Methodist Church.  Most people had left except for the Senior Steward and my new host. However I could still enjoy a cup of tea with a scone, cream and jam! 

Below you see some pictures of the types of road or tracks here. 

Tomorrow is of to Winchester, but also looking after my blisters... So public transport may be needed.. 

Mortimer to Worting

Rain! Lots of rain, very welcoming rain of course, but it does not make walking easier. 

But the day started very pleasant. Together with my host in Mortimer and his dog we walked from their home to the ruins of Silchester, of which the amphitheatre remains and the wall around the city. In the route map below you can see a strange loop, that is when we crossed the city area and gone back around the wall.

 

We also visited the church at Silchester, very nice with still some medieval wall paintings:

 

After visiting Silchester my host and his dog went home and I carried on to Bramley, Little London,  Pamber Priory, Monk Sherborne to Worting. 

But even before Bramley the rain started, so on with the rain gear, and I took some time at Bramley church, hence only photos of the inside! 

 

Even more extensive medieval paintings!

The rain eased up, but it was all a bit slow going. Spent some time in Pember Priory garden:

 

And carried on. After Monk Sherborne there was a path next to a golf course, which was very overgrown:

 

 

This is what I had to get through. Fortunately I could walk for a bit on the golf course in parallel, but had to get back to the same overgrown path to get to the road. It was heavy work, very prickly and took a long time.

So it was only at 5pm that I got to Worting St Thomas of Canterbury (!) where my new hosts for this evening picked me up.

But I was very tired and soar at the end of the day!

I like to finish with a picture of Ps 98 in the church at Bramley:

 

"O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity."

Even at the end of a more difficult day, there are things that remind us of the glory of God!

Reading to Mortimer

   Kennet and Avon Canal

Started out this morning together with Stephen to go by bus to the Reading train station, and we walked together round Reading centre, through the Forbury Gardens including the monastery ruins. On the edge of Forbury Gardens there's a Roman Catholic Church still built in the Romanesk style :

Then following the Kennett River & Kennet Canal towards the south & west. That way leaving Reading also leaves urbanisation behind fairly quickly too, and I found myself walking along the canal and lakes and nature reserves, while not quite escaping the noise from light industry, road and rail. I got quite adept at getting out of the way of  joggers and cyclists!

At Sheffield Bottom I stopped at the pub for a drink and then it went south through Burghfield Common towards Mortimer. A mixture of road walking, fields and forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also started to see the official waymarkers, which looked relatively new.

 

At St Mary's Sulmanstead I had my lunch. This is a lovely little church ...

 

...in which there's also a plaque remembering Robert Venn, who improved the potato crop at the time of the Irish Potato Famine, helping it to end:

 

After that I got quite warm and tired and so was pleased to enter Burghfield Common. As this is a mixture of park and forest.

so a lot of cool shade and interesting paths. I even came across a few deer

Today's journey ended at Mortimer, with an Anglican and a Methodist church

 

I was then welcomed by my host family, members of the Methodist church, with tea, cake and a shower, plus a lovely dinner (beef strip salad followed by Greek 'Eaton Mess'), which tasted very nice. My thanks go out to them for hosting me here tonight.

Here's an overview of the route and weather :

 

Canterbury to Reading

The first day, travel by National Express coach to Reading via Victoria. Ada took this picture of me at the Canterbury bus station.

The journey was fine, but a bit delayed at Victoria, and quite hot and busy!

 

At Reading I was welcomed by my friends Stephen and Tolu, with lovely food and a bed to sleep in! It was good to reflect with them our church life together. Stephen is Minister of Reading Park URC. 

 

Tomorrow the walking starts from Reading Station! Thanks to Tolu and Stephen for their hospitality! 

Trial Walk

 

Today I did a trial walk, near Canterbury, from Harbledown through Blean Woods to near Dunkirk and then back through Denstead Woods and Chartham Hatch back to Harbledown.

It was 11.4 miles with a temperature of 27C, but with a nice breeze. It was a good test with my fully loaded rucksack, and I made a good time of nearly 6 hours.

 

One special place near Chartham Hatch is No Man's Orchard. Ada has done a lot of work volunteering with The Kentish Stour Partnership to put fences and so on up. They did a really great job!

 

Of course the effects of the draught are visible here too, but there are plenty of apples! 

Overview or route below :

 

Introduction

Pilgrimage

I hope that this blog will become a record of my the pilgrimage journey that I am undertaking as part of my sabbatical. I am minister of St Andrews URC in Canterbury and of the URC in Sandwich. 

Background

Some ministers use their sabbatical to study a specific topic or to travel to a country or an area that they have never been to before. I had been thinking of traveling to an area I had not been before, maybe with a mission organisation to for instance Tajikistan, but then Covid did not invite me to make long distance travel plans.

But in thinking and praying about what to do, one topic emerged that stuck: to walk a pilgrimage route. I like walking, but have never been so adventurous to walk a long distance route, preferring the comforts of a nice hotel or guest house. But doing a pilgrimage would mean that I would walk the route, with everything that I need on my back and to reduce cost to I would need to request hospitality from churches along the route.

The next question was the route and the destination... Santiago de Compostella, Rome, Iona... Canterbury (!)... At least the last one has the advantage that I am already home when I arrive!  I then found that there is a newly rediscovered old pilgrimage route, called the ‘Old Way’ which runs from Southampton to Canterbury. All that sounded quite intriguing, so I decided to do that route. But as the route would take only three weeks so, I wanted to spend some more time walking. And to give me some practice I also decided the walk the St James’ Way from Reading to Southampton. This is a week’s walking and I can have a good practice for the main walk. 

During this time of pilgrimage I want to focus on having time alone with God, learning how to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit: who to talk to, what I observe and how I sense God speaking through events, my own thoughts and prayers. 

Plan

The first stage is the St James’ Way:

• 14-20 August
• Reading to Southampton
• about 70 miles

  

 

The second stage is The Old Way:

• Southampton to Canterbury
• 7 Sep – 29 September
• About 250 miles
  

 

I hope to record something on this blog using my mobile every day! It is the first time I am doing this so please bear with me!

Thanks for following me along.

Yours in Christ - Bernard Fidder