Bookings have recently opened for our 2025 Walking Pilgrimage, the Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope, taking place from 9th to 24th August 2025. Join us in celebrating 50 years of walking pilgrimages, 60 years of the Arundel & Brighton Diocese, and the Holy Year proclaimed by Pope Francis. Crossing varied terrain across Surrey and Sussex, the route visits every Deanery in the Diocese, together with churches of many denominations that we pass on the way. The pilgrimage is open to all – we already welcome pilgrims of many faiths and from around the world. You can join for a day (or less), a few days, or the whole 2 weeks. Organised entirely by volunteers, our pilgrimages are very affordable.

Our 2025 publicity material is now available to download – please share and/or print and display, and encourage your friends to consider joining us.

Poster

Poster (inkjet friendly)

Social Media Tile

More details of what’s involved can be found on our booking system.

Diaries of our past pilgrimages, which give a good idea of just how enjoyable and fulfilling the pilgrimages are, can be found here.

If you still have questions, contact us (details on the booking system) and we’ll do our best to help.

On 31 March, Easter Monday 1975, 25 intrepid pilgrims set out from Arundel Cathedral to “beat the bounds” of the Arundel & Brighton Diocese, marking the 1975 Holy Year and the 10th Anniversary of the creation of the Diocese. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into!

Taking place after an early Easter rather than in August as in later years, we encountered quite a lot of weather. There was snow lying on the South Downs on the first day; heavy rain most of day 3 as we traipsed across Ash Ranges; a blizzard in far East Sussex as we approached Rye. It was weather we were ill equipped for, but it didn’t dampen our spirits.

As we followed the coast West from Rye towards Brighton we started doing “Ring-a-Ring-o-Roses” at each pier we passed. I suspect this started as an attempt to keep warm as we waited for the pilgrims to regroup, but it became part of our identity. On the final day back into Arundel, Bishop Michael Bowen and his dog Jamie walked with us. As we came through Arundel Park approaching our destination, holding hands in a line across the valley, we stopped for one more “Ring-a-Ring-o-Roses”. Most of the pilgrims were still at school, a few of university age, a few older. We were delighted to see that even Bishops “all fall down”.

And that was the start of a 50-year journey, still continuing. For the many youngsters involved in those early years it was a cheap, fun holiday but also a relaxed encounter with their faith. Over the decades our demographic has evolved, but that core quality has remained. It is a religious activity, a pilgrimage, but not only for the converted. So many people, at different stages of their faith journey or even on different paths altogether, have walked with us, brought blessings to us, and been blessed by us. We often encounter pilgrims-of-old who no longer walk with us, but they always remember the pilgrimage fondly: everyone has some recollection of their time “following the orange arrows”.

From the very start we stopped at churches of all denominations on the pilgrimage, and welcomed pilgrims whatever their background (2 girls from the Baptist Church walked that first pilgrimage). In 1981 we joined forces with Churches Together in Sussex to celebrate St Wilfrid, Apostle of Sussex, and the pilgrimage became officially ecumenical. The manifestation of ecumenism has also evolved over the years, but it’s core to our identify, even in a year when we’re celebrating our roots on Arundel & Brighton Diocese.

The years have taken us to so many places – grand cathedrals, humble chapels, urban landscapes and all kinds of countryside. Not to mention the pubs! With our visit to Rutland in 2024 we have probably visited every (traditional) English county, and many in Wales. We’ve enjoyed great hospitality, overcome some huge challenges and a couple of tragedies. We’ve become a community on the move – both literally and evolving as things change around us. But we are all pilgrims at heart, ready to stand up and sing “He who would valiant be” at the drop of a hat and to follow the orange arrows that will lead us home.

We have so much to be thankful for: the “founding Fathers” Bill Haynes, Bob Garrard and Hans Burgman; those who took up the baton when Bill needed to take a back seat; pioneers and leaders including Alan Fox, Patrick Reeve and Peter Doran (and all those who’ve taken on the Coordinator’s role); all those who worked on the support team shifting our kit, keeping us fed, watered and safe, finding accommodation and routes; the locals who have opened churches, led us in prayer, provided refreshments; and EVERY SINGLE PILGRIM who has brought their own contribution to the pilgrimage.

50 years on, we thank God for the blessings we have received and pray for the success of our 2025 pilgrimage and those to follow.

To find out more about our 2025 Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope, visit https://thepilgrims.org.uk/book/

For more general information and diaries of our past pilgrimages, visit https://thepilgrims.org.uk/wp/

Surrey Hills and Sussex by the Sea

Bookings are now open for the Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope in August 2025. Celebrating 50 years of our walking pilgrimages, 60 years of the Arundel & Brighton Diocese, and the Holy Year, this pilgrimage will visit all of the deaneries of the Diocese, whilst continuing our ecumenical tradition by stopping at churches of many denominations along the way.

All are welcome to join the pilgrimage and experience walking as part of our travelling Christian community, whether for a fortnight or just an afternoon!  The cost is £350 to walk with us all the way, or £33 per night to book a shorter spell (£31 per night for 7 days or more, 25% discount for under 21s).  “Day Pilgrims” pay just £5.

The route covers varied terrain, including the Surrey Hills, the South Downs, and the Sussex Coast. These are our stopping points – further details are available in the booking system.

• Horley (Crawley Deanery)
• Reigate (Redhill Deanery)
• Ashtead (Epsom Deanery)
• Weybridge (Weybridge Deanery)
• Frimley (Woking Deanery)
• Farnham (Guildford Deanery)
• Haslemere (Guildford Deanery)
• Midhurst (Cathedral Deanery)
• Tangmere (Cathedral Deanery)
• Goring-by-Sea (Worthing Deanery)
• Brighton (Brighton Deanery)
• Seaford (Lewes Deanery)
• Eastbourne (Eastbourne & St Leonards Deanery)

Modern health and safety considerations mean we cannot squeeze as many people into church / village halls as we used to, which makes it a bit more comfortable than previously but means that numbers may have to be limited. Therefore I would urge early booking to avoid disappointment.

This year we are hoping that parishioners of the deaneries we are passing through will come and join us for some or all of a day. In order to manage numbers we are asking day pilgrims to pre-book this year. This ensures everyone is covered by the Diocesan insurance and we can do appropriate risk assessments.

If you have questions, please address them to our bookings secretary Clare (contact details on the booking page). If you’ve not been before, Clare notes that it is often easier to chat on the phone than exchange emails. If you are thinking of coming for the first time, look at our diaries from previous years which give a good flavour of what goes on, and read the information on the booking page. Oh, “read the information on the booking page” applies to old hands too!

To read more and to make your booking, please visit https://thepilgrims.org.uk/book/

On Saturday 5 April we are holding a reunion to mark 50 years since our first pilgrimage (31 Mar – 13 Apr 1975). All current and past pilgrims are invited to join us for lunch and reminiscences, together with a service of thanksgiving and prayers for deceased pilgrims. For those who wish to join, there will be a morning walk. Limited overnight “floor and breakfast” will be available the nights before and after the reunion. If you can’t make it, comment on this post to share a memory.

Venue

The reunion will be based at the St Philip Howard Centre, Southgate Drive, Crawley, RH10 6RP (formerly DABCEC). There is plentiful parking, and it’s on several bus routes (Southgate Avenue stops)

Walk

The morning walk will take us from Horsham Station to the Centre – we will leave the St Philip Howard Centre at 08:30 and walk to Crawley Station to catch to 08:57 train to Horsham, arriving 09:10. Pilgrims could optionally meet us at either station. If you can, please buy your ticket in advance to avoid delays!

Lunch

A buffet lunch will be served when the walking group has returned to the centre. Please ensure you advise us of any dietary requirements.

Schedule

Cost

£10 for the lunch, £5 for each breakfast, or any donation you wish to add. Any surplus from the reunion will be donated to charity. Pay on the day. Please book in advance and let us know if plans change, so that we can avoid waste.

Booking is Essential

To book, please email reunion50@thepilgrims.org.uk specifying:

• Name
• Contact Details (email, phone)
• Friday overnight Y/N
• Saturday walk Y/N
• Saturday lunch Y/N
• Any dietary requirements
• Saturday overnight Y/N

Can’t make it?

If you are unable to join us, but wish to share a memory or a prayer intention, please leave a comment on this post and we’ll include you on the day.

Yes, it really is 50 years…

50 years ago a group of priests, looking to find a way for young people to celebrate the Holy Year of 1975 and the 10th anniversary of Arundel & Brighton Diocese, planned a walking pilgrimage “beating the bounds” of the Diocese. This became an annual event, the pilgrimage we know and love, going to diverse destinations across England and Wales, becoming Ecumenical, and with an evolving demographic. Over the years this institution has meant so much to the regulars, the “one-off” pilgrims, and people we’ve encountered on the way.

So 2025 will be a year of celebration for us, and we’d love to see old and new pilgrims at two events we are planning. So please SAVE THE DATES!

50-year Reunion in Crawley, 4-6 April 2025

Unlike its successors, the first pilgrimage took place after Easter (31st March – 13th April 1975) so we like to organise an “April Reunion” to mark the major anniversaries.

Whilst the exact schedule is yet to be worked out, the main activities will be on Saturday 5th April, probably involving a short morning walk, a pub lunch, and a social afternoon tea back at the venue, where non-walkers can join us and we can share reminiscences. We’ll have some form of thanksgiving service and remember deceased pilgrims.

Overnight pilgrim-style accommodation will be available for Friday and Saturday nights.

Please spread the word to any past pilgrims you know who might not otherwise hear about the reunion.

Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope, 9-24 August 2025

As the distances involved in beating the bounds of the Diocese (even cutting more corners than we did in 1975) are beyond our regular mileages, after some thought we have derived a route that visits each of the 11 Deaneries (future “new parishes”) in the Arundel & Brighton Diocese:

• Horley (Crawley Deanery)
• Reigate (Redhill Deanery)
• Epsom (Epsom Deanery)
• Weybridge (Weybridge Deanery)
• Frimley (Woking Deanery)
• Farnham (Guildford Deanery)
• Haslemere (Guildford Deanery)
• Midhurst (Cathedral Deanery)
• Tangmere (Cathedral Deanery)
• Goring-by-Sea (Worthing Deanery)
• Brighton (Brighton Deanery)
• Seaford (Lewes Deanery)
• Eastbourne (Eastbourne & St Leonards Deanery)

Note that some accommodation is not yet confirmed, so locations may change a little.

Whilst maintaining our strong ecumenical commitment and visiting churches of all denominations along our route, we hope to inspire people from the deaneries we walk through to join us as day pilgrims. We also hope that “past pilgrims” will join or meet us along the way; and of course new pilgrims are always welcome, whatever your location, background or creed!

Bookings for this pilgrimage will open in February, once the accommodation is finalised. To make sure you hear first, subscribe to updates on our website (https://thepilgrims.org.uk/ via the “Subscribe to Blog via Email” panel)