The Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester to Canterbury is the UK’s second most popular route according to the British Pilgrimage Trust.

‘For many, the appeal of pilgrimage lies not simply in the act of walking, but in walking towards the unknown in search of something meaningful,’ claims the Trust which welcomes the King’s Christmas message featuring pilgrimage.

The top route is the St James Way from Reading to Southampton which briefly shares the same path around Hyde Abbey outside Winchester.

The St James Way is the first section of the Camino Ingles which continues from La Coruna to Santiago de Compostela.

Also just announced is the number for pilgrims arriving by all routes in Santiago last year. The total, at 530,987, is more than half a million.

The Pilgrims’ Way also has a London starting point at Southwark Cathedral and although not recorded by the Trust there is an ever growing number of people setting out on this Chaucer route beginning in Southwark.

Chaucer is not known to have visited Winchester although he did go to Southampton. His business and civic duties took him up and down the Kentish road out of London.

‘Pilgrimage is an ancient practice, but its renewed appeal today reflects contemporary pressures such as the pace of modern life and constant connectivity,’ says the statement from the Trust marking the survey release.

‘Setting out on foot along routes shaped by centuries of use offers a deliberate contrast, creating space for reflection and attentiveness to landscape and history.’

The Trust adds: ‘At a time when many people feel divided from one another, pilgrimage can offer something quietly radical: common ground. By walking alongside others, sometimes alone, sometimes in silence and sometimes in conversation, people often find it easier to listen and connect.’