From community-created countryside walks to routes shaped by three royal women in Kent’s early Christian history, pilgrimage across the Diocese of Canterbury has been celebrated by the Church of England, highlighting the growing role of pilgrimage in connecting people with faith and heritage.
is the Church of England’s campaign encouraging people to explore places, stories and spiritual journeys that help them connect with God and become part of a wider story of faith.
Two videos from the Diocese will be featured on the Church of England's national social media channels: a community pilgrimage project developed by the Benefice of Benenden and Sandhurst, and the Royal Kentish Camino, which celebrates the legacy of three influential royal women in Kent's early Christian history.
Pilgrims gather outside St Nicholas, Sandhurst
The was highlighted for its work creating local pilgrimage routes and producing a practical manual to help other churches develop pilgrimages in their own setting.
Co-creators of the manual Ylva Blid-Mackenzie and Lyn Hayes filmed a walk from St Nicholas, Sandhurst which included some pilgrims with little or no previous connection to church life.
Speaking about their pilgrimages, Ylva said: “Our routes always start with a prayer. Often, we have started at a church … and then we finish with a blessing, and then there is tea and cake.”
Lyn Hayes leads pilgrims in Sandhurst
Local resident Sandra West said: “It’s meant a time of reflection, a time to think and really enjoy the countryside.”
The Royal Kentish Camino tells the story of three royal Kentish women – Queen Bertha, Princess Ethelburga and Princess Eanswythe – and their connection to some of the earliest Christian communities in England.
Starting at , the oldest church in the English-speaking world, the 23-mile route celebrates Queen Bertha of Kent, who helped lay the foundation for the conversion of Kent to Christianity.
It continues to , where excavations have uncovered evidence of one of the country’s earliest Christian communities dating to the time of Queen Ethelburga (daughter of Bertha), before ending at , dedicated to Princess Eanswythe, who is recorded as founding an early Christian community there. The church is also thought to be the only one in the British Isles to have retained the relics of its founding saint.
Statue of Queen Bertha, Canterbury
Father Christopher Johnson, Priest in Charge of St Mary and St Eanswythe, Folkestone said: “As people make their journeys and their pilgrimages through life, it’s a great privilege for us to minister and share in those experiences of God and the Christian faith as well.”
Inspired to create a pilgrimage in your own community? A practical guide developed by the Benefice of Benenden and Sandhurst can be downloaded from our pilgrimage resources webpage.