onwayhome
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances Ponferrada-Santiago,(c1986)
Frances SJPP-Santiago (2011)
Portuguese Porto- Finisterre (2016)
St Michaels Way (2016)
Saint Augustine's Camino goes from Rochester Cathedral to the shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate, via Canterbury, a total of 67miles (108 Km) spread over seven days using the suggested stages. Although recently developed, the walk visits places rich in pilgrim history, current centres of contemplation and passes through some stunning Kent countryside.
Highlights for me included enjoying a filling breakfast in the medieval pilgrim hall at Aylesford priory, walking alongside reedbeds and waterways alive with frog and bird calls in the Stodmarsh nature reserve, sitting in the deep candle lit silence in Canterbury Cathedral Crypt and seeing the largest vineyard in England being created in the shelter of the North Downs.
There's a guidebook and pilgrim passport available from augustinecamino.co.uk which has colour photos, large scale maps and clear route descriptions that mostly succeed in the difficult task of giving enough information without getting bogged down in detail. The route is almost entirely on public footpaths with some walking on minor roads here and there. In some places these paths are little used and might need a bit of opening up. I used GPS several times while crossing large fields where the path had been ploughed away and for deciding on unmarked woodland paths. There is a GPX file available for download from the excellent British Pilgrimage Trust website, though this differs from the guidebook route in places so it's a good idea to compare them before setting off.
The challenge with most English routes is the lack of pilgrim orientated infrastructure and this is no exception, though there are some budget accommodation options. Unusually there is also the possibility of bag transport, support and pre booking of places to stay available via the website.
I enjoyed walking this very much, many thanks to thank Andrew and Paula Kelly for all their work in developing and supporting the route.
Highlights for me included enjoying a filling breakfast in the medieval pilgrim hall at Aylesford priory, walking alongside reedbeds and waterways alive with frog and bird calls in the Stodmarsh nature reserve, sitting in the deep candle lit silence in Canterbury Cathedral Crypt and seeing the largest vineyard in England being created in the shelter of the North Downs.
There's a guidebook and pilgrim passport available from augustinecamino.co.uk which has colour photos, large scale maps and clear route descriptions that mostly succeed in the difficult task of giving enough information without getting bogged down in detail. The route is almost entirely on public footpaths with some walking on minor roads here and there. In some places these paths are little used and might need a bit of opening up. I used GPS several times while crossing large fields where the path had been ploughed away and for deciding on unmarked woodland paths. There is a GPX file available for download from the excellent British Pilgrimage Trust website, though this differs from the guidebook route in places so it's a good idea to compare them before setting off.
The challenge with most English routes is the lack of pilgrim orientated infrastructure and this is no exception, though there are some budget accommodation options. Unusually there is also the possibility of bag transport, support and pre booking of places to stay available via the website.
I enjoyed walking this very much, many thanks to thank Andrew and Paula Kelly for all their work in developing and supporting the route.