Leigh Hatts

The William Blake exhibition opening at Tate Britain today has a reminder of the artist’s interest in the Pilgrims’ Way. He started thinking about Chaucer’s characters in The Canterbury Tales in about 1806. However he was peeved when his friend Thomas Stothard allegedly stole his idea by signing deal with a publisher for a pilgrims’ […]

If passing through Kemsing in Kent between this weekend and St Edith’s Day Monday 16 September you may find flowers next to St Edith’s Well. On Sunday afternoon 8 September there will be devotions by the well at 3:30pm followed by Vespers in the church at 4pm. The Vespers of St Edith will premiere new […]

Next year 2020 is the 850 anniversary of Archbishop Thomas Becket’s murder in Canterbury Cathedral. St Thomas was killed in his cathedral during Christmas week 1170. Just two weeks earlier the Archbishop had visited Southwark Cathedral, then a priory, and spent the night next door at the Bishop of Winchester’s house. Thomas already knew Southwark […]

How has the weather been this month on your walk to Canterbury? St Bartholomew’s Day is Saturday 24 August which is forty days after St Swithun’s Day. An old saying claims that if it rains on 15 July it will rain for 40 days but if it’s fine it will be dry for forty days. […]

St Martha-on-the Hill has a pilgrim stamp. The church, dating from 1100, is on a hill 570 feet above sea level with a view over several counties. It’s the next objective after crossing the River Wey outside Guildford. Afterwards you head for Shere where St James’s Church has the next stamp. St Martha-on-the-Hill is open […]

Lammas Day is on Thursday 1 August. This is the original ‘harvest festival’ dating from Anglo-Saxon times when thanks is given for the first fruits rather than just in the autumn when all is gathered in. “It provides us with time to pause and reflect on our connection with the agricultural world and the source […]

St James’s Day is Thursday 25 July when many pilgrims will be attempting to arrive at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Some of those pilgrims start out from England on the Pilgrims’ Way to go via Canterbury. St James the Great is the patron of pilgrims and his shell is a universal pilgrim logo seen […]

Just as the Translation of St Thomas at Canterbury earlier this month fell on a weekend so St Swithun’s Day 15 July is a Monday. The focus is now Winchester Cathedral where Saturday 13 July is the annual Friends of Winchester Cathedral Festival. Saturday’s Festival Evensong at 4.30pm is followed by a procession to the […]

Choral Evensong at Southwark Cathedral this Wednesday 10 July will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. The cathedral  will be closed over lunchtime from 12.45pm to 2.30pm for rehearsals. Those wishing to be present for the broadcast at 3.30pm should be seated by 3.10pm. The broadcast marks the retirement of Peter Wright who has been […]

If you are walking from Winchester to Canterbury today and are about to reach Merstham in Surrey you will find lunch available as you pass along the usually quiet Quality Street. The annual Quality Street Fayre is today Saturday 6 July There is a ‘food court’ and beer tent selling local ale. Also lots of […]