Dunton Green to Vigo

Day 9 – Walked almost 13 miles

We walked through three lovely English villages today which all had a church as well as other things to see.

The first village was Otford.

The Bull on High Street in Otford is where the two Pilgrim Way routes from Winchester & London merge on their way to Canterbury. This pub was built around 1512. It has two Tudor fireplaces, paneling, & oak from the old Otford Palace dating from the late 15th & early 16th Century.

The Anglican Church of Saint Bartholomew is in the village center.

On the way to the second cute town Kemsing, we saw a very accurate mileage marker for drivers taking the road.

However, we were still on the footpaths.

Kemsing is known as the home of St. Edith.

Edith of Wilton was born in this village in 961 in the white building now known as The Bell pub. The well which is now in the village used to be within the convent where King Edgar the Peaceful of England’s daughter Edith spent her childhood & became a nun early in her life. Hallowed by her presence, the well’s waters became known as a healing source to soothe eyes. Edith was a celebrated scholar & known for her piety & generosity. She built a church dedicated to St. Denis at Wilton Abbey. She also built a hospital there caring for lepers & outcasts as well as giving bread, alms, & shelter for those in need. She died at age 23 & was buried in the church she built. She was venerated as a miracle worker with a shrine in her name that pilgrims would visit. On her annual feast day on 16 September, devotions occur for her at her well. Her statue is outside the village’s St. Edith Hall.

St. Mary’s Church Kemsing dates from 820 AD. It still has a 13th Century wooden door which shows indentions made by pilgrims knocking on the door with their staves to receive assistance while on their way to Canterbury.

The last cute village we visited was Wrotham.

There are many old inns & and taverns here.

The Bull was a coaching inn founded in 1385.

This church in Kemsing is the oldest church in England dedicated to Saint George dating from the 10th Century. It has an unusual passage in its tower which is believed to have been created to allow processions to go around the church more easily.

It was fun knowing we were walking on old pilgrim roads & seeing churches they visited that still have congregations.

It was a cold wet day, but the quaint little towns kept my spirits high.