London to Walsingham

Walking the full route with Andy Bull

11-25 April 2023

Confirmed itinerary 4.2.23

I (Andy) have indicated at each stage where I shall be staying, and given links, where I can, to allow you to do the same, should you wish. You may prefer to book alternative accommodation away from the route and take taxis in and out. That’s entirely up to you. Meeting ties and locations for each day are given below.

Some of you have committed to completing the full pilgrimage, others have opted to dip in and out. At this stage it looks as if about half a dozen of us will walk the full route, with variable numbers joining as for a time.

You can find full details of the route we shall follow in the guidebook London to Walsingham Camino: The Pilgrimage Guide, available from www.trailblazer-guides.com, Amazon or any other online or bricks-and-mortar bookshop

You will note that I have at least one church on the itinerary each day, where possible for either for an Anglican service, Catholic Mass or a simple blessing. Attendance at these is entirely optional.

Someone has asked if they can walk at their own pace, rather than with the group. I had envisaged us walking together but it’s entirely fine if anyone wants to walk in solitude. If so, your walk will become self-guided and you will need either the printed instructions from the book to use in conjunction with OS maps, or to download the gps file of the route to your phone.

If you would like to record your pilgrimage in an official pilgrim passport, you can get one from the Confraternity of St James, free to members £5 to others.

 

Day 1, 11.4.23, Tuesday

St Magnus Martyr to Waltham Abbey 17.7miles.

Actual walking time: 6hrs 30mins (all timings approximate, breaks on top of this)

 

Meet up at

8am Mass at Farm Street, Mayfair, Fr Dominic Robinson

Tube to Monument for start of pilgrim route at St Magnus the Martyr, perhaps via Southwark Anglican Cathedral.

Alternatively, meet up here

10am St Magnus the Martyr, prayers at Shrine to Our lady of Walsingham, stamp pilgrim passports

11.30 Royal Foundation of St Katharine, (pilgrim stamp)

5pm Arrive at Waltham Abbey

 

Suggested accommodation: There are two Premier Inns, both 1.5miles or so off the route. One is called Premier inn London Enfield, the other Premier Inn, Bishops Waltham. I have booked the former. Book via the national Premier Inn  website

 

(Pilgrims who need to stay overnight in London before the start could consider accommodation at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine, book via their website)

 

 

Day 2 12.4.23, Wednesday

Waltham Abbey to Ware 13.2 miles.

Walking time 4hrs 30mins

 

Meet up at

To be confirmed, but either 9.30 or 10am Waltham Abbey Church (pilgrim stamp)

1.30pm St John the Baptist, Great Amwell (pilgrim stamp)

5pm arrive at Ware

Suggested accommodation: Premier Inn, Ware, where I have booked

 

Day 3 13.4.23 Thursday

Ware to Stansted Mountfitchet 16.4 miles.

Walking time 6hrs

 

Meet up at

9.15 St Mary’s Ware, morning prayer (pilgrim stamp)

1pm St Andrew and Holy Cross, Much Hadham (pilgrim stamp)

3pm Bishops Stortford, St Michael (Anglican), and St Joseph and English Martyrs (Catholic)

4.30 Arrive Stansted Mountfitchet

 

Suggested accommodation Kings Arms Hotel, Stansted Mountfitchet.

I shall be staying with Jim Sollars, a member of the British Pilgrimage Trust, who lives in the village. He has two or three additional spaces. Please let me know if you’d like to stay with Jim.

Jim has generously offered to cook us a pilgrim supper.

 

Day 4 14.4.23 Friday

Stansted Mountfitchet to Saffron Walden 14.2 miles.

Walking time 5hrs

 

Meet up at

9.30am Mass St Theresa of Lisieux, Stansted Mountfitchet (tbc)

1.30pm St Mary’s, Newport

3.30pm St Mary’s, Saffron Walden (pilgrim stamp)

7pm Mass, Our Lady of Compassion, Saffron Walden

 

Suggested accommodation Cross Keys, Saffron Walden www.theoldcrosskeys.co.uk/

I plan to stay with a pilgrim who lives close to the end point of this stage. They may also have a double room available, let me know if you are interested.

We might get together for pilgrim supper at the Cross Keys.

 

Day 5 15.4.23 Saturday

Saffron Walden to Withersfield 13.8 miles.

Walking time 5hrs

 

Meet up at

9am St Mary’s, Saffron Walden (pilgrim stamp) (tbc)

12.30pm St Mary’s, Bartlow (pilgrim stamp) Duncan Ogilvy will be at church with stamp. Loos and kitchen available

6pm St Mary’s, Withersfield. Evensong with Revd Max Drinkwater (pilgrim stamp)

Max has very kindly arranged with his congregation to move their usual evensong to coincide with our time in the village.

 

Suggested accommodation: White Horse, Withersfield, where I shall be staying. Book with them direct 01440 706081 [email protected]

 

Day 6 16.4.23 Sunday

Withersfield to Hawkedon 13.4 miles (slight change from guidebook)

Walking time 5hrs

 

Meet up at

10am White Horse, Withersfield (breakfast is not until 9.30 on a Sunday)

1pm All Saints, Hundon, (pilgrim stamp)

4pm All Saints, Stansfield. Possible stop-off at the Stansfield Compasses,

5.30 Arrive at Hawkedon

 

Suggested accommodation: Queen’s Head, Hawkedon. I have booked here. Book via their website, which has a link to their AIRBNB page https://www.hawkedonqueen.co.uk/rooms.php

 

Day 7 17.4.23 Monday

Hawkedon to Bury St Edmunds 11 miles.

Walking time 4hrs

 

Meet up at

10am St Mary, Hawkedon (pilgrim stamp)

12 noon St Petronilla, Whepstead

2pm Arrive in Bury St Edmunds

5.30pm Evensong, St Edmundsbury Cathedral (pilgrim stamp)

 

Suggested accommodation: Old Canon Brewery, Bury St Edmunds. I am staying here. I booked via bookings.com

 

Day 8 18.4.23 Tuesday

Rest day in Bury St Edmunds

 

Bury St Edmunds pilgrimage day.

I hope to be able to offer some pilgrimage-related activities in Bury, and am discussing this with the Cathedral team. It all depends on how many we will be.

 

Meet up at

9am Mass, St Edmund King and Martyr Catholic Church

5.30pm Evensong, St Edmundsbury Cathedral

 

Suggested accommodation: Old Canon Brewery, Bury St Edmunds, where I am staying

 

Day 9 19.4.23 Wednesday

Bury St Edmunds to Thetford, 16.3 miles.

Walking time 5hrs 30 mins

 

Meet up at

8.30am Morning Prayers St Edmundsbury Cathedral

12.30pm St Mary’s, Culford (pilgrim stamp)

4.30pm St Gregory’s Barnham

5.30pm St Cuthbert’s, Thetford (pilgrim stamp)

 

Suggested accommodation: Bell Hotel (where I am staying. I booked via bookings.com) or Travelodge, Thetford or Premier Inn, book via their national website.

 

Day 10 20.4.23 Thursday

Thetford to Brandon 10.5 miles.

Walking time 4hrs

 

Meet up at

9am St Cuthbert’s, Thetford (tbc) (pilgrim stamp)

10am Thetford Priory

12.30 St Helen’s Oratory and Holy Well

1pm All Saints, Santon Downham

3pm Arrive at Brandon

 

Suggested accommodation: Bridge Hotel (I booked via bookings.com) or Ram Inn, Brandon, also on bookings.com

 

Day 11 21.4.23 Friday

Brandon to Great Cressingham 15.6 miles

Walking time 5hrs 30mins

 

Meet up at

9am Brandon railway station

10.15am Stump Cross near Weeting

11.30am St Leonard’s, Mundford

2pm All Saints, Hilborough

3pm arrive Great Cressingham

 

Suggested accommodation: Olde Windmill Inn, Great Cressingham. I booked via bookings.com

 

Please note: Partly because of restrictions relating to animal infection on a farm, we will currently have to walk along the narrow verge of an A road for two stretches, totalling about 1.5 - 2 miles. It may be that restrictions will lift by April, I am monitoring the situation. This is the only point in the 178-mile journey where this happens. I believe it to be safe, but if you are at all unsure of navigating this, you might like to arrange transport for yourself between Mundford and Hilborough.

 

Day 12 22.4.23 Saturday

Great Cressingham to Castle Acre 13.7 miles

Walking time 5hrs

 

Meet up at

9am St Michael’s, Great Cressingham

10.30am All Saints, South Pickenham,

11.30am St Mary’s, Houghton on the Hill (pilgrim stamp) This church, with its 1,000-year-old wall paintings, will be specially opened for us.

3pm St George, South Acre

4pm Caste Acre Priory (English Heritage, entry fee charged)

 

Suggested accommodation: Ostrich Inn (I booked here via bookings.com) or Old Red Lion, Castle Acre. The latter has inexpensive accommodation, including a dormitory charging £35 per person https://oldredlion.org.uk/index.php/accommodation/

 

Day 13 23.4.22 Sunday

Castle Acre to Fakenham 15.9 miles

Walking time 6hrs

 

Meet up at

9am St James the Great, Castle Acre (pilgrim stamp)

11am St Andrew’s, East Lexham

12.30 All Saints, Litcham and former Litcham Priory

3.30 St Mary’s, Whissonsett

5pm St Peter and St Paul, Fakenham (pilgrim stamp) or St Anthony’s Catholic church, Fakenham (both tbc)

 

Suggested accommodation: The Crown, Fakenham. I booked here via bookings.com

 

Day 14 24.4.22 Monday

Fakenham to Walsingham 6.2 miles

Walking time 2hrs 15mins

 

Meet up at

9am St Peter and St Paul, Fakenham

11am All Saints, East Barsham

12 noon Pilgrim Mass at Slipper Chapel, National Catholic Shrine, Houghton St Giles

2pm Walsingham Abbey, site of Holy House

6.30pm Chapter Mass, Anglican Shrine, followed by a reception attended by the Anglican Shrine’s Guardians

 

Suggested accommodation: Anglican or Catholic shrines, book via their websites

Anglican: https://www.walsinghamanglican.org.uk/visit/stay-2/

Catholic: https://www.walsingham.org.uk/accommodation/

 

Day 15 25.4.22 Tuesday

Departure.

Perhaps: Walk from Walsingham to Wells next the Sea (5 miles)

Pilgrims who reach Santiago often walk on to Finesterre. We could emulate them by walking on to Wells, once a pilgrim port, then catching a bus to Kings Lynn for trains home.