Day 3: Castle Cary to Gillingham

Today we cross the remote badlands of the Somerset/Dorset borders, where Francis reports the footpaths are poorly maintained. So expect some adventures. It's a shorter day today, with lunch and our main service of the day in the town of Wincanton.

As this is only the second days walking, many pilgrims stiff from the first were warming up for the journey ahead.

Keith led us in a moment of prayer before we set off on our journey from Castle Cary to Gillingham.

Today's leader, Francis, had warned off natural hazards ahead during the morning, the first of which was a small muddy path.

The mud was easily surpassed, and the journey ahead looked picturesque.

However, difficulty was soon to come as a queue of pilgrims gathered not long after departure.

The natural obstacle in question was the dreaded stinging nettle. The day's frontmarkers had been slowed by fields of nettles with no obvious path.

A new path was created, and pilgrims soldiered on through the itching (with a little help from the Dock leaf).

Viewers of yesterday's diary would have seen a visit to a Cider Farm. Today, however, whilst there were many orchards, there was little cider to be consumed.

Here we have the lesser-spotted Aidan Simons mounting a stile. Lesser spotted as he's normally on the other end of the camera, and usually writing this website diary (but not today!).

Whilst our new international pilgrim, Dannie (from Sweden), seems to leap this stile with far more grace.

We reached our first prayer stop at St. Leonard's in Pitcombe, to find the church firmly secured.

As we waited for the church to be opened, many pilgrims were forced to shelter from a sharp shower that passed overhead.

With the church remaining locked and with rain overhead, we quickly walked the mile to the church of Ss Peter & Paul in Shepton Montague. Mary & Danny led us in reflection of today's theme of mourning with particular reference to pilgrims whom have recently departed.

On again over stiles & fences...

...past strategically placed towers...

...through fields of maize & corn...

...to welcome refreshment at our lunch stop in Wincanton.

With no specific lunch pub, pilgrims were dispersed throughout the town at many drinking establishments.

Again at a church dedicated to Ss Peter & Paul, we celebrated a Eucharist...

...with reflection, prayer...

...scripture & the first outing for the travelling musicians.

After being fed both physically & spiritually we set off on our way again...

...through the outskirts of Wincanton and on into the Somerset countryside once again.

With further obstacles, some pilgrims took the low road...

others took the high, whilst the more sensible pilgrims just opened the gate instead.

To the church of St. Andrew in Stoke Trister for another prayer stop...

...where we found a stone tablet displaying the Ten Commandments taken from Exodus.

Some pilgrims took liquid refreshment and sustinance for the final part of the journey...

...whilst spiritual refuelling was provided by Ruth who talked about how the ability to mourn could provide acceptance for the loss of a loved one.

Pilgrims continued to cross obstacles in their own way...

...as the final hill of the day brought us to the final prayer stop.

The church of St. Lawrence in Cucklington provided much to see as well as hear...

...with a wooden carving surrounding the altar...

...and also an escape into the world of Bill Oddie, with a nest of swallows within the church entrance.

Our final part of the day's journey took us along roads to reach Gillingham Methodist Hall...

...where some accommodation looked more like the Texan Desert.

That's all for now. More tomorrow as we walk from Gillingham to Sixpenny Handley into the county of Dorset & past a Hollywood A-lister's English Country Home. Bye for now!

Today's Editor: Anthony Gamble