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Day 3: Winchester to Alton (34 km) Divine Providence
‘There’s a divinity that shapes our ends Rough hew them how we will’ Hamlet Act 5 Scene 2 As I embark on the first stage of the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Alton, here are a few more thoughts about that ‘mysterious’ incident that occurred a few weeks ago that I referred to in a…
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Kit list – keeping it light
Ok this blog post is a bit geeky – it’s about what kit I’m taking with me and what I’m leaving behind. I’m indebted to two people for most of the ideas that follow: Brian Franklin, who lives in the next village (Shrewton), is a veteran of many long distance pilgrimages and is about to…
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History of the Via Francigena
People have been making pilgrimages to Rome since the fourth century when , with the Edict of Milan in AD313, the Roman Empire became Christian, unleashing a veritable flood of pilgrims anxious to visit the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in the city. These early pilgrims were aided in their undertaking by the well-maintained…
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Day 1: Winterbourne Stoke to Pitton (21 km) Onward Pilgrim Soldier
‘ In the middle of the journey of our life, I found myself astray in a dark wood, Where the straight road had been lost sight of ‘ Dante Alghieri – Canto 1 of the Divine Comedy. Well D-Day finally arrived after 9 months of wistful musing, bouts of frustration (as planned departure dates were…
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Day 2: Pitton to Winchester (35 km) From the ridiculous to the sublime.
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun John Keats – To Autumn One of the many treats of going on a 1,500 mile charity walk, is that it takes you out of your normal routine. It’s not every day that I can sit outside a tent cradling a mess tin brimming…
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Day 4: Alton to Compton (32 km) Hop springs eternal
The hop that swings so lightlyThe hop that shines so brightlyShall still be cherished rightlyBy all good men and true. Hop picking poem – anonymous The day got off to a slightly disappointing start when I awoke to find that my washing had failed to dry overnight! Thankfully I have brought a sufficient quantity of…
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Day 5: Compton to Dorking (24 km) Reconnections
When to the sessions of sweet silent thoughtI summon up remembrance of things past,I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste: Sonnet 30 – William Shakespeare It was a short day but a full one in every sense – full of sights and sounds…
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Day 6: Dorking to Tatsfield (36 km) Stepping Stones to Tatsfield
A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Endymion – John Keats Mark Easton and his partner gave me a lovely stay at their house in Dorking. We stayed up chatting until well past 10pm! Mark sent me on moy way with another ‘Full English’ – my fourth of the week! The day started by…
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Day 7: Tatsfield to Wrotham (29 km) A “chance” encounter and other strange happenings….
Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God The Baptist Herald and Friend of Africa – William Carey I was sad to say good bye to Vince and Veronica Short. They were incredibly kind, highly entertaining and were also a mine of information about the history of Tatsfield. As I left Tatsfield Church…
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Day 8: Wrotham to Aylesford via Rochester (34 km) Walking on sunshine and diet coke
I caught this morning morning’s minion, king-dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his ridingOf the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding The Windhover – Gerard Manley Hopkins What ended up as probably the most satisfying day of the walk so far, didn’t get off to a particularly promising start. I had enjoyed a…
Welcome to my blog! I’m Jonathan, a 60 year old Brit who is passionate about long distance walking.
In May 2024 I’m setting off from Land’s End to walk 1,200 miles, the length of Britain, to John O’Groats.
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Pilgrim's Progress - Long Distance Walks in Europe and the UK 