Journeying | Pilgrimage Holidays | Christian Walking Holidays | Christian Short Breaks

Cost

£970 per person for a single room.
£910 per person sharing a double, en-suite room.

Description

Canterbury is called the cradle of Christianity in England because Saint Augustine's mission in 597 AD used it as the base to convert the Anglo-Saxons, establishing it as the centre of the English Church. The city is home to the first cathedral in England and became a major centre of religious influence and a prominent pilgrimage site, solidifying its status as the origin point for the country's Christian history. We enjoyed a wonderful holiday walking here 2 years ago in 2023 and have longed to return to this ancient, beautiful city. This year we have kept our itinerary the same but have slightly adapted it with changes we think you will appreciate. This year, instead of being a large group of 11, we have decided to keep the numbers small, we will be a group of 4 guests and 2 leaders. Instead of staying outside of the city in student accommodation, we are staying in a lovely townhouse within the original city walls - right in the heart of Canterbury itself and close to the Cathedral.

We have retained all of the highlights of the Canterbury holiday which our guests loved such as the UNESCO tour at the very first day, with afternoon tea in the grounds of the Cathedral. This Journeying holiday is a dive into history, for Canterbury (with England’s oldest Cathedral) is the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. We will visit all the major sites of significance; receive a special welcome and blessing at both Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals and then let all of this and the information we have absorbed settle, as we meander through the parks, gardens and waterways of the city and then beyond its walls, walk the pilgrimage routes together in the open countryside. The rhythmical simplicity of walking will help digest the feast of history and the experiences shared, in the many historical sites visited – it’s like needing a good walk after Sunday lunch (except Canterbury is more like a banquet at Christmas!)

It’s also an immersive pilgrimage experience, for the holiday is a creative combination of the 4 ancient pilgrimage routes that lead to and from Canterbury. Each day we will follow a section of one of these four routes, as they lead in or out of this ancient city. This should allow us to share the same kind of experience of pilgrimage as those who have walked the same paths over hundreds of years. As we do this and spend time in the churches and locations associated with Thomas Becket, Canterbury’s most famous Archbishop, we will connect with the essence of this historic city and the countryside around it and get a deep sense of its spiritual significance.

The four Canterbury Caminos: Via Francigena, Augustine Camino, the Pilgrims’ Way and the Old Way are very different in their nature, length and pilgrimage experience, but all are routes that hold significant importance in the Christian faith and connect shrines, monasteries and sacred sites such as Thomas Becket's shrine at Canterbury Cathedral. This is very much a walking holiday and most of our day will be spent walking in the spirit of pilgrimage. We will use public transport to start or end our walks and each guest will have a bus pass allowing unlimited travel, which offers a little flexibility into the programme.

The walking is easy and mainly on good, level paths. However, most of the walks are around 9 miles long and you will truly feel like a weary pilgrim at the end! There’s a lot packed into this walking holiday … it’s kind of a ten day holiday experience squeezed into a week. However, the pace will be relaxed and quietness and contemplation will be invited to join us on our way. We will share prayers, readings and reflections throughout the days that support our inner journey, for pilgrimage is both a physical and spiritual journey; an intimate and personal connection with the landscape and with God. Helped by the rhythm of walking and being in a beautiful natural environment, our pilgrimage presents an opportunity to find deeper meaning in our lives. To perhaps find clarity and peace with the things we have been carrying. We will enjoy fellowship and fun but also have personal space to allow quietness with ourselves, each other and the countryside through which we are walking.

Each morning and evening, we will share a short time of quietness together - for prayers, contemplation and special moments from our day that we may like to share. Choral Evensong takes place each evening at 17.30 for those who would like to end any of their days in the Cathedral itself. Our accommodation is very close by.

The team at Journeying have created a special little pilgrimage booklet for you for this holiday – it’s a gift, to be your companion on your Way. Its pages can be used for collecting the stamps from the churches on the pilgrimage routes, making notes of the places you visit whilst ‘Journeying’, or simply if you want to write down your moments of closeness with God.

This holiday is fully-catered with tea, coffee and biscuits always available. Breakfast will be self-serve and you can make your own picnic lunch, to take with you on your walk, with ingredients that will be provided. Supper in the evening will be prepared and cooked for you by your leaders ‘Pepper’ and Jo - and as we are a family, a little help with setting the table and clearing up would be most appreciated.

Walks and Excursions

On two of the days, we will enter Canterbury in the late afternoon as pilgrims completing the final stage of the ‘Old Way’ and the ‘Pilgrims Way.’ On the other two days, we will leave the city in the morning on the `Via Francigena’ as if heading to Rome and on the ‘Augustine Camino’ as if en route to Ramsgate. We will use public transport to support our journeying at the beginning or end of the routes.

Our Itinerary
Monday 17th- First afternoon: gather at 15.00 hrs at our `home from home' accommodation for the week in the centre of the city and meet each other over tea and cakes. At 17.30 we will go to the Cathedral for Choral Evensong and then be received by a member of the clergy and given a pilgrim blessing at the start of our pilgrimage holiday.
Day 1: The Canterbury UNESCO World Heritage Site Tour (Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey, St Martin’s Church)
Day 2: A welcome, a blessing and tour of Rochester Cathedral, then walk part of the Augustine Camino from Selling to Canterbury (8.5 miles)
Day 3: Augustine Camino - Canterbury to Upstreet (9 miles). 16.30-17.00 visit Canterbury Cathedral to meet Torin Brown, the Pilgrim Officer, who will lead a short pilgrimage around the outside of the Cathedral, walking in silence to places of symbolism and structures of meaning, to reflect upon our lives and our world. It is a pilgrimage of prayerful intent.
Day 4: Via Francigena – Aylesham to Walderslade Park 6 miles. We end our day with a guided tour of the 12th Century Eastbridge hospital, visit the Franciscan gardens and be welcomed by Reverend Dr Perry Butler, who will bless us and hold a service of thanksgiving for us for our wonderful pilgrimage journey together in Greyfriar’s Chapel. After our service we will enjoy refreshments before returning home.
Day 5: Pilgrims Way - Godmersham to Canterbury (9 miles)
Final Morning: Morning gathering and farewells after breakfast. Depart around 10 am

The itinerary may vary slightly subject to future changes in the bus and train scheduling in 2026

The cost of entrance tickets, guided tours of venues and transport for the walks is included in the price of your holiday. We will each have a bus pass allowing unlimited travel for the week. Included in the cost of this holiday is your accommodation, food, all daily transport, admission fees and guided walks each day. We do hope you will join us!

Accommodation

We will be staying in a delightful Grade II Listed building. This townhouse within the old city walls, has a lovely sunny garden where we can relax, eat and enjoy the summer evenings. The house is immaculately clean, comfortable, well equipped and beautifully furnished. It has a great location as it is less than a minute’s walk from the High Street, very close to the Cathedral and directly across the road from the River Stour and the award-winning Westgate Gardens. There is a lovely footpath which follows the river and benches for you to sit and enjoy the flowers, specimen trees and a moment of quiet.

Bedrooms:
Upstairs there are 2 single rooms each with a hand basin. These bedrooms share a bathroom.
Downstairs there is a double room (for two people sharing) that has its own en-suite bathroom.

There is a lovely lounge for us to relax in and share our morning and evening prayers and reflections together

Getting there

We will meet at our accommodation in Canterbury, CT1 2DA at 3pm.
Coming by public transport: The accommodation is a short walk from Canterbury West train station (10 minutes), Canterbury East train station (15 minutes from) and the bus station (10 minutes).
Arriving by car: You will be able to drop off your bags and then find somewhere to park in one of the car parks in and around the centre (pay & display) or free on-street parking where you can find it – generally only on the perimeter of the city.

Contact

Pepper: cheryltettmar@gmail.com +44 (0)7977 163032
Jo Reed. joannereed05@gmail.com +44 (0)7928590155

After you have contacted the leader to check that a place is still available, to secure your place please pay your deposit of £200 per person, per room by clicking on the "Book Today" button below and then select the blue "View Details" button.