if you are setting out on the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester this weekend you will find it’s St Swithun’s Day.

On Sunday, being the eve of St Swithun’s Day, the First Festal Evensong of St Swithun at Winchester Cathedral is at 3.30pm.

The St Swithun’s Day choral evensong, attended by all Winchester canons, on Monday 15 July is at 5.30pm.

Both services are live streamed on the cathedral website.

*** St Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, died on 2 July 863 which is the date on which Norway observes St Swithun’s Day. The 15 July is the Translation of St Swithun recalling his body being moved on this day in 971 from the outside burial ground into the Old Minster (outlined in grass on cathedral’s north side). The body was moved again twice: in 1093, into the new cathedral, and in 1096 within the cathedral -always on 15 July.

*** The popular rhyme claiming that if it rains on 15 July it will rain for forty days dates from the 13th-century. The origin is a mystery but the shrine canopy features rain and sun. The weather forecast for Monday is rain.

*** If you are setting out from Southwark Cathedral you will find St Swithun and St Thomas Becket depicted together among the saints on the great screen behind the high altar.

Friday 12 July is the 850th anniversary of Henry II visiting Canterbury for the first time after the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket four years earlier. In 1174 the 12 July also fell on a Friday.

The king, who had decided on his penitential pilgrimage only six days earlier, landed at Southampton from Normandy. Some maintain that he followed the Old Way which hugged the coast to Kent rather than heading for the ancient route out of Winchester.

However, on the morning of Friday 12 July 1174 he arrived in the village of Harbledown near Canterbury which was on the main road from London and is part of today’s pilgrim route.

Here the King dismounted to pray in the Hospital of St Nicholas which was 90 years old. As part of his penance for Becket’s murder he gave an annual grant of 20 marks to the lepers of Harbledown hospital.

St Michael & All Angels Church at the top of the hill was barely 15 years old.

it was a damp morning and from here the king, rather than remounting, walked along the road dotted with puddles to St Dunstan’s Church on the edge of Canterbury.

At the church he removed his rain protection clothing and shoes.

Henry then walked barefoot for quarter of a mile to enter Canterbury at the West Gate. Still barefoot he continued along the main street crossing a second braid of the River Stour where he granted the mill to Becket’s sister Rohesia. ASK on the site has plaque recording this.

After a further 300 yards on the cobbles he arrived at the cathedral as the bells rang. At once he knelt in the porch.

Inside Henry went directly to the martyrdom site where he kissed the flagstones on which Becket had fallen. It was another three years before the bloodstained stones were lifted

Finally he made his way to the crypt to kneel at the tomb of Becket the new saint. This where monks were required to whip the King.

The visit was not brief for the King kept overnight vigil at the tomb.

Pageant on Saturday 6 July

Canterbury is marking the Henry II anniversary a few days early with a Medieval Pageant and Family Trail on Saturday 6 July.

The Pageant, with giant models of the King and St Thomas Becket, starts at 11am from the West Gate and finishes in the Cathedral’s Precinct where at 11.45am there will be a scene depicting the King making his apology for Becket’s murder.

Canterbury Cathedral grounds will be open with free entry.

Translation of St Thomas 1220 on Sunday 7 July

The Translation of St Thomas, marking the moving of Becket’s body in 1220 from the Canterbury Cathedral crypt to the new shrine upstairs, was always a bigger day for pilgrimage than the murder anniversary at Christmastime. Solemn Evensong with Procession to the shrine site is at 5.30pm and will be live-streamed on the cathedral website.

850th anniversary of Henry II’s Pilgrimage on Friday 12 July

Canterbury Cathedral Sung Evensong is at 5.30pm.

Briefly Kent’s Darent valley has a touch of Provence with swathes of purple.

Lavender is now found in fields alongside the Pilgrims’ Way between Lullingstone and Shoreham.

This is the heart of Samuel Palmer’s ‘veil of heaven’ countryside although he never saw the lavender which was planted just 25 years ago.

On the way from Eynsford pilgrims can go through the Lullingstone Castle gateway to visit St Botolph’s known as the Church on the Lawn.

At Castle Farm there are refreshments.

The popular Watts Galley Tea Shop on the Pilgrims’ Way is closed this week Monday 1 July to Wednesday 3 July.

This due to improvement works starting on the kitchen.

From Election Day Thursday 4 July a pop-up café will open on the Gallery lawn whilst the Tea Shop will be open for coffee and cakes only.

This a good stop between Farnham and St Catherine’s Village (Guildford).

Starting shortly this month there will be an occasional diversion on the Pilgrims’ Way above Charing in Kent.

The route does not pass through the village which is downhill to the south.

Just before the turn off it will be necessary to divert right down to the main road where there is a pavement. The road curves to cross the Pilgrims’ Way a little further on.

There is a turning off the road to Charing.

The closure, which is expected to be on and off during the summer, is to enable work to take place on improving the path.

Cream teas are available every Tuesday during June at Upper Froyle Church.

Upper Froyle is a handy stop between Alton and Farnham.

The church has a rare dedication to the Assumption of Our Lady, a collection of Venetian vestments and a modern Pilgrims’ Way window..

The village is known for having statues of saints attached to many of the houses.

The teas are served from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

Quality Street in Merstham, which has links with the Quality Street play and bow fronted houses as on the sweet tin, is on the Pilgrims’ Way.

Immediately afterwards you cross high over a surprise motorway to St Katharine’s Church which is offering overnight sanctuary in its hall.

This is just one of several places where, thanks to the efforts of the British Pilgrimage Trust, pilgrims can enjoy basic accommodation for a donation. You only need a sleeping bag.

Another village ready with sanctuary is Boughton Lees where a 15th-century building, which a church seventy years ago, is available for a night.

Both venues have lavatory and washing facilities with food nearby.

For contact details along with news of any further sanctuary churches look at the British Pilgrimage Trust website.

But the Trust is making it clear that sanctuary should not be confused with the more luxurious champing being offered by some churches elsewhere although not yet on the Pilgrims’ Way.

A stamp is now available at The Bull on top of Shooters Hill for those carrying a pilgrim passport.

The hill is 8 miles out of London and has a spectacular view back to the city.

The Bull, a CAMRA star heritage pub with a grade II listing, dates from 1881 and is the successor to an 18th-century inn which stood 100 yards to the east as indicated by a surviving mounting block.

The pub, on the corner of Shrewsbury Lane and in the shadow of the huge water tower visible from London Bridge, has just relaunched with a redesigned hidden garden.

The Bull is open daily from 11am with food including pizzas from 4pm.

All day food will available at the new adjoining Hill Top Coffee Shop opening this Friday.

*** Pilgrim passports can be obtained from Southwark Cathedral Shop.

A new mile long pilgrim route known as the Romero Way links Southwark’s St George’s Cathedral to Southwark Cathedral.

Some will wish to begin their pilgrimage to Canterbury at St George’s where there is the national Oscar Romero Shrine. Relics of the saint, a 20th-century Becket, are also found in Canterbury.

ST GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL, since 1852 the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark which embraces Canterbury, was completed in 1848 to a design by Augustus Pugin. His was the first wedding. The planned but never added spire is reputed to be the one now above Edinburgh’s Tolbooth Kirk. Second World War bombing resulted in massive rebuilding of Pugin’s church. A window depicts Pope John-Paul II’s 1981 visit. The Óscar Romero national shrine was placed here in 2013.

A stamp can be obtained here for your pilgrim passport which is available, along with the Pilgrims’ Way guidebook, in advance from the Anglican Southwark Cathedral shop.

Leave St George’s Cathedral by the west doors. You can turn left and go directly to St George’s Circus. The official route circles the building by turning right in order to pass the house of Pugin’s builder George Myers (left) before bearing right round Archbishop’s House designed by FA Walters of Buckfast Abbey fame. Pass Romero House, the CAFOD HQ (right).

Keep ahead across St George’s Circus into Borough Road.

Go left into Milcote Street and right by the Diversity Garden along King James Street. Just after Lancaster Street crossroads there is Mathieson Court (right).

MATTIESON COURT, on the site of the lost St Alphege Church (1880-1991), is named after the last parish priest Eric Mattieson who was also National Theatre chaplain. The foundation stone survives at the end of the brick wall (right).

Walk under the railway line to go left and, almost at once, right into Webber Street. At Great Suffolk Street bear right to the crossroads and turn left up Southwark Bridge Road.

On the double bend pass the Welsh Chapel.

BOROUGH WELSH CHAPEL dates from 1872 having replaced an 1806 Congregational chapel.

At the Union Street traffic lights go right into Flat Iron Square. On the far side turn left into O’Meara Street. The Church of the Precious Blood is on the right.

PRECIOUS BLOOD CHURCH was built in 1891-2 to a design by F A Walters who was responsible for Archbishop’s House. He described the church as ‘an extremely simple style of Romanesque or Norman’. The baldacchino over the high altar is modelled on the one at San Lorenzo fuori le Mura in Rome. Since 2013 the church has been in the care of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

At O’Meara Street’s far end is Southwark Street. Use the crossing to the left to go right. Turn left into Redcross Way. At the T-junction go right to follow Park Street. As the street bends Southwark Cathedral’s tower can be seen ahead on the far side of Borough Market.

Walk through the Market and turn left past Bread Ahead to reach Southwark Cathedral. The main entrance is on the north (river) side.

SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL was an Augustinian Priory when visited by Thomas Becket weeks before his death in 1170. The saint and pilgrims are depicted in windows. Shakespeare knew the building as a parish church when he buried his brother here in 1607. This has been the Anglican cathedral since 1905.

It is encouraging to see the often muddy Nuns Walk out of Hyde at Winchester being cared for after some years of neglect.

Abbott’s Barton Farm suffered huge neglect earlier this century when abandoned but recently it has become a family farm.

Its new name is Winchester Farm.

The new owners, having it seems given up on much promised public contribution to Nuns Stream and water meadows management, are themselves engaged in restoring nature.

The path has new deer fencing.

Grazing has been re-established on the water meadows with the help of The Hampshire & Isle of White Wildlife Trust.

This comes at a time when the Nuns Walk is not just the Pilgrims’ Way track out of Winchester (waymarked as St Swithun’s Way) but also the Porchester to Winchester Allan King Way.

It is now likely to see even more walkers as the latest way marking has seen Camino Ingles to Santiago disks appear. Nuns Walk is also part of the St James’s Way from Reading to Southampton.

Canterbury bound pilgrims on the Nuns Walk can see Spanish bound pilgrims coming the other way. This is interesting as some pilgrims walk on to Santiago from Canterbury.