The Way of St Augustine

3-day modern pilgrimage

About the walk

Our 21st-century pilgrimage is a journey from Ramsgate on the East Kent coast to Canterbury, considered the heart of Christianity in Britain. Together, we will follow in the footsteps of St Augustine, a Benedictine monk who was sent from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great to bring Christianity to medieval England in 597 AD. Considered to be the founder of the English Church, Augustine became our first Archbishop of Canterbury and was sainted after his death.

This weekend walk along The Way of St Augustine is a modern-day pilgrimage for women of any or no faith. It’s a journey of purpose, an opportunity to reflect and enjoy the soothing rhythm of walking in nature with like-minded companions, through the beautiful Kent countryside. You will learn about nature, history and get a chance to experience some pilgrim practices along the way.

St Augustine chose Kent to start his mission because of the power of its ruler, the pagan King Aethelbert and his Christian Queen Bertha. Augustine’s arrival in England, landing at the harbour town of Ramsgate and journeying to Canterbury with his forty brother monks, has become the stuff of legend, with pilgrims retracing his route over more than a thousand years.

Over our two days together, we will retrace his 19-mile journey, starting in Ramsgate and visiting many sacred sites associated with the Saint, as we journey to the ancient city of Canterbury.

Price:

£600 (per person, based on solo room occupancy)

£550 (per person in shared twin or king/ superking rooms)

Walk leader: Faye Smith

We will be based for two nights at the four-star Grove Ferry Inn on the banks of the River Stour, just outside Canterbury where we have exclusive use of the six hotel rooms.

Walk itinerary

Day One

Arrive from 12 noon onwards at the beautiful 18th century Grove Ferry Inn, giving you time to explore nearby Canterbury, curl up in the bar with a good book and relax, or at 3.30 pm in the season March-October, you have the option to join a very special hour’s canoeing adventure with Canoe Wild, right from their landing outside our hotel. At water level, it’s a deeply immersive experience in nature. Or alternatively for those who prefer to be a little further from the water, boat trips along the Stour are often available from the hotel.

The four-star Grove Ferry Inn in its picture-perfect location on the banks of the River Stour will be our base for this walk. This former coaching house was built in 1830 on the road from Herne Bay to Dover. It takes its name from the hand-drawn ferry that crossed the river just outside until it was replaced by a road bridge in 1963.

We gather for a complimentary welcome drink to get to know each other at 6pm, followed by dinner at 7pm.

Day Two

We will start the day by sharing breakfast and the opportunity to set our intentions for our journey with purpose.  We then set off by taxi to one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century, Royal Ramsgate to begin the day’s ten-mile linear walk, the first half of The Way of St Augustine. Today we walk past significant locations associated with St Augustine, back to the Grove Ferry Inn for a well-earned rest before meeting for drinks and dinner at 7pm.

Our route will take us via sites filled with spirituality and historic meaning where you can stamp your pilgrim passports- including the Pugin-designed Shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate where we have a private tour. Then we move on to St Augustine’s Cross near Cliffsend, the Abbey and St Mary’s Church in Minster, West Stourmouth and Stodmarsh Churches, with a stop for a picnic lunch, prepared for us by the Grove Ferry team along the way. Where these sites are open, our walk allows time to explore briefly.

Day Three

After a hearty breakfast at Grove Ferry Inn, we set off along the beautiful River Stour and nature reserve to complete our pilgrim way.  Our second day walking together takes in Fordwich Church (home to the Fordwich Stone, thought to be part of St Augustine’s tomb), the Canterbury World Heritage Site comprising St Martin’s Church, St Augustine’s Abbey and the wonderful Canterbury Cathedral where we complete our time together with some time to explore the main pilgrim sites within the precincts. We end with a special Canon pilgrim blessing- often with exclusive access- at the Shrine of Becket.

Finishing at 5pm, from here we can arrange transport back to Grove Ferry Inn if you have travelled by taxi, or your luggage will be brought to you and may prefer to continue your journey on from nearby Canterbury station, where there are fast trains into London. If you wish, you could also stay for 5.30 Evensong, a very special experience within the soaring vaulted roof of the breath-taking Cathedral.

Walk Summary

Date: Thursday 22 August to Saturday 24 August 2024

Description: 3-day pilgrimage walk (2 nights, 2 days walking) from Ramsgate to Canterbury

Price:

£600 (per person, based on solo room occupancy)

£550 (per person in shared twin or king/ superking rooms)

Deposit: 50% deposit within 48 hours of booking, balance 8 weeks in advance.

What’s included:

• Accommodation at the 4-star Grove Ferry Inn

• Welcome drink on Thursday evening

• Dinner on Thursday and Friday nights

• Breakfast and packed lunch on Friday and Saturday

• Transport to start point in Ramsgate Friday morning and from Canterbury back to the station or Grove Ferry for those who come by car on Saturday

• Guide services from Thursday afternoon throughout, with two days guided walking

• Admission to Canterbury Cathedral*

• Luggage transfer available for those leaving by public transport from Canterbury on Sunday (please advise us if you require this option).

* Please note drinks are not included and access to all sites will depend on church staff availability and activities at our time of arrival

Optional extras:

• River Stour Canoe Wild adventure (One hour experience in the season March- October) additional £20 approx per person

About the accommodation:

Accommodation is at the 18th century Grove Ferry Inn, a delightful inn on the banks of the River Stour, in Upstreet near Canterbury. The Inn has four king rooms and three king + single rooms for solos or sharers.

Travelling to the accommodation:

By car: The postcode for sat-nav is CT3 4BP. Parking is available at the hotel

By train: The nearest main stations are Canterbury West or Canterbury East, around 7 miles from the Grove Ferry Inn by taxi. Longley’s Taxis 01227 710777.

By bus: Bus 8 or 8A from Canterbury to Upstreet, Grove Ferry Hill half a mile from the hotel.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my two Pilgrimages with Faye across East Kent. I’d not expected to learn so much about an area I know well, and coupled with the really enjoyable company, they really were wonderful days spent in the outdoors. I would recommend the experience to anyone – whether experienced walker or not – as the pace and distances are manageable with breaks to refresh, reflect and enjoy the views.”

ALI

Why not start your journey today?