Day 14: Challock to Canterbury

Leaving Challock we walk through the King's Wood for 2 1/2 mile and rejoin the NDW / Pilgrim's Way by a milestone. Just after that we catch a distant view of the cathedral, with a recently installed display board. In fact that is the last we see of the cathedral until we are almost on top of it. The NDW takes us down to the delightful village of Chilham where there is a statue of a pilgrim in the square; our prayer stop is in the church. After a steep climb on a minor road to Old Wives Lees, we walk through an industrial-scale orchard, with temporary accommodation for its workers, to reach lunch at Chartham Hatch. After heading downhill through woods and over the A2, we leave the NDW to take a route into Canterbury that avoids roads: along by the River Stour, across a park, past the castle, then through gardens. We are then required to gather at the hall and help unload the van, which can only park there for a few minutes, before pressing on for our destination, the cathedral. Here we have our pilgrimage arrival service before attending Evensong.

Pilgrimage Newsfeed - Day 14

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Setting off prayers, Challock Adilz, Fred (KWLWG)

A rosary of pilgrims Caroline Isted

an installation of strange objects in the King's Wood John Chenery Original Tweet

Joined the NDW. we are on our way! John Chenery Original Tweet

This display board was installed to mark the 25th annual pilgrimage from St Martin's in the Field to Canterbury, and marks their first sight of the cathedral each year. We could indeed see the tower in the distance, but visibility was not good, and I thought it too distant to attempt to photograph the view. John Chenery Original Tweet

Chilham John Chenery Original Tweet

my fellow frontmarkers approach St Mary's Chilham (Maureen is hiding as usual but her shadow isn't!) John Chenery Original Tweet

A & B pilgrims meet very old pilgrims. They wooden come with us? Patrick Reeve

Patricia and Nancy lead a very moving prayer stop about the importance of inclusion Patrick Reeve

Shots at Chilham Steven Knowles

Shots at Chilham Steven Knowles

St marys Chilham Steven Knowles

St marys Chilham Steven Knowles

Shots at Chilham Steven Knowles

Kent, the Garden of England ... not far now Maurice Hickman

Lunch at The Chapter Arms in Chartham Hatch John Chenery

in the pub garden John Chenery Original Tweet

Closing in. John Chenery Original Tweet

The entrance to our home in Canterbury John Chenery Original Tweet

From the rear, St Thomas of Canterbury RC Church appears to be upstairs John Chenery Original Tweet

Now we have a tight schedule: we need to unload the van before processing to the cathedral, but where is the van? John Chenery Original Tweet

John Chenery good to know my brake lights work ok! Clare Gamble Original Tweet

Then the van did draw up and we formed a chain to unload everything off the van and up the stairs to the hall; sometimes you have to participate, not record! John Chenery Original Tweet

Emergency guitar tuning John Chenery Original Tweet

Processing to the cathedral behind our banner John Chenery Original Tweet

John Chenery Original Tweet

Arriving at the Cathedral Maurice Hickman

Nearly there John Chenery Original Tweet

friday 26th marina saiz hoz

Our thanksgiving service in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. Here Francis prays for day 8. We needed to make haste as it was nearly time for Evensong upstairs. John Chenery Original Tweet

friday 26th marina saiz hoz

friday 26th marina saiz hoz

We made it to our places just in time for Evensong John Chenery Original Tweet

friday 26th marina saiz hoz