Day 1 – Killarney to Black Valley – 17.5 miles

Day 2 – Black Valley to Glencar – 15.5 miles

Day 3 – Glencar to Glenbeigh – 10 miles

Without a doubt, Ireland’s Iveragh Peninsula is a beautiful place.

The last time I was here was in July 1985 when my husband & I rented a tiny little Fiat Punto car & drove around Ireland including the Ring of Kerry with my parents. This time we are using our own two feet taking the slower route hiking the Kerry Way.

The first day took us past the Muckross Abbey which was closed in 1541 by Henry VIII’s decree, then was destroyed in 1562 during the English Civil War by a unit from Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army who deliberately removed the roof after which time the abbey was abandoned. Nearby we saw the lovely old Muckross House mansion which is open to tourists.

From Muckross, we passed the Torc Waterfall which is another popular tourist spot. From there, we left behind all the tourists & made our way for most of the day through forests before walking through very soggy bog fields with some small waterfalls. The sky had been threatening rain all day which finally started falling steadily late in the afternoon before we reached our destination which was a very small farmhouse B & B located in Black Valley which got its name from its murky bogs covered in dark heather.

We arrived just in time for dinner at 6:00 PM. This small place reminded me a lot of the tiny B & B homes in which we stayed in 1985. Back then, my parents were very amused about how you would drive looking for a B & B sign posted by the road, stop, knock on the door, & ask if they had rooms available. Sadly, with the Internet, those days of physically looking for a home B & B to stay in are gone.

Day 1 Highlights

Day 2 was a little shorter; but, the walk took us up, over, & down two mountain passes with very rugged, uneven, rocky paths. Between the mountain passes, we also had to maneuver on the trail through many wet, soggy fields doing our best not to step in deep water or heavy muck. But, the scenery was incredibly beautiful.

The first mountain pass brought us into the Bridia Valley which is a broad expanse framed by dramatic peaks & open hillsides.

Climbing up from the Bridia Valley took us over the foothills of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks which is Ireland’s highest mountain range.

We passed zero people & didn’t even see anyone at the few farms along the trail. The only time we saw a person was almost at the end of the day when a farmer was training his sheep dog to herd his sheep.

A very peaceful day with only the occasional bleating from the innumerable sheep dotting the countryside disturbing the epic silence.

Day 2 Highlights

Day 3 started with warm temperatures & big blue skies. The biggest difference from the prior day was we mostly walked on a road & an old well worn trail which was previously used to drive cattle to market.

The last half of the hike was in the wide open spaces with no shade & after noon, I realized my hands were getting sunburned. Who would have guessed we would have such sunny weather! When we came in July 1985, it rained almost the entire time with only short stretches when it didn’t.

Each time we climb a mountain pass, we hike into a new valley. Today when we crossed around Seegin Mountain, we saw the dark blue, shimmering Atlantic Ocean waters in Dingle Bay for the first time.

Day 3 Highlights

Wye to Canterbury

Day 14 (Final Day) – Distance walked 16 miles

187= Total miles walked from Winchester to Canterbury

26= Total old churches visited

3= cathedrals visited (Winchester, Rochester, Canterbury)

As much as I wish our last day would have been nice sunny weather, it wasn’t to be. From the moment we left our hotel, a light rain was falling which forced us to wear all our rain gear & use our umbrellas.

Knowing we had at least 13 miles to walk to reach the Canterbury Cathedral before it closed, we left an hour earlier than normal. .

Our first stop was Chilham where we walked past a castle & visited St Mary’s Church,

Chilham is a quaint little village with many old buildings. When you see a Tudor style building in England, it probably was built during the Tudor Era.

Chilham Castle

On the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage, you see many pilgrim statues; however, there are only a few in England.

St Mary’s Church in Chilham.

It once had a Yew tree as old as the church

Passed tjrough a town with a funny name.

After lunch, the count down to Canterbury began.

When we arrived in Canterbury, we stopped at St Dunstan’s Church. It is known as the place where Saint Thomas More’s head is buried.

After Saint Dunstan’s Church, we had a nice stroll through Canterbury on our way to the cathedral. Thankfully, the rain had finally stopped so we could enjoy this experience.

We finally made it!! Because we were pilgrims with valid, stamped passport books we got to enter through this special gate with a free entry.

Our last pilgrim passport stamp.

Our last step.

It’s always a wonderful feeling to finish a pilgrimage. They are never easy & it’s nice to have a goal to complete them.

A few dedications to pilgrims at the entrance.

This is our 3rd cathedral visited since leaving Winchester & it is marvelous.

The church marks the exact spot on which Thomas Becket was murdered.

In the past, there was a shrine in the church to Becket for hundreds of years that Henry VIII had destroyed in the English Reformation. Now a single candle marks the spot where it was.

Beautiful stained glass windows depicting miracles & pilgrims.

Inside the cathedral is a special passage through which pilgrims could pass to see where Becket was martyred without disturbing the monks.

Before the day was over, we had one more stop to make at Saint Martin’s Church which is the oldest church in England dating from before 597 AD which is when Saint Augustine arrived in Canterbury from Rome & he said the church was there when he arrived.

Saint Martin’s Church is actually the start point for another pilgrimage called the Via Francigena (The Way from France) which follows in St. Augustine’s steps to Rome. It is 1800 kilometers ( 1080 miles) long. We plan to hike the last part of this trail in Italy this fall.

Lenham to Wye

Day 13 – Distance walked 14 miles

Our next to last day was lovely. We only experienced one short rain shower as we walked across a field into Westwell.

Before we got on our way, we checked out Lenham’s old church called St Mary’s. It is currently under repairs to keep this special place intact for future generations. Like many old churches in this area, it is over 1,000 years old with this one being built in 906 AD. It is known for having a wall painting dating from 1350 showing the Archangel Michael weighing the souls of the dead deciding who gets into heaven. Near the entrance hangs an old entry door which is over 600 years old.

It was temping to buy some goodies for the road at the Lehman bakery including Belgium Ice Drop Scones.

On the Pilgrim Way just outside Lenham, we passed this very large cross formed in the hillside dedicated to British soldiers who died in both World Wars.

Once again our path took us near farms. One farm even sold fresh duck eggs.

Unlike the weekend, we met very few people on the trail unless a local person was out walking their dog. One local dog walker was kind enough to take our picture.

Around noon, we walked into Charing to see its St Peter & St Paul Church & enjoy the small town who had some royal visitors.

Charing had the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Palace, so it was visited by several kings. Henry VII came several times & on some visits, he was accompanied by his son Henry VIII. When Henry VIII was king, he visited several times including with his 5,000 person entourage when he was on his way to France for negotiations in 1520.

In 1545, the Archbishop of Canterbury was “persuaded” to give his palace to Henry VIII, so it became the “Royal Manor of Charing”. However, neither Henry nor succeeding monarchs seems to have stayed there again, so in 1629, it was sold to private ownership at which time the Great Hall was converted into a barn.

Charing itself was a pilgrimage site because its local church had the chopping block on which John the Baptist was beheaded. This relic was brought back by a crusader from the Holy Land in the 12th Century. Unlike other religious relics, this one survived the English Reformation only to be lost in a fire in 1590.

Charing‘s High Street has many buildings which are centuries old.

Our next church was St Mary at Westwell which is known for its stained glass Jesse window which still has some original glass in it from the 13th Century. A Jesse window is a medieval stained glass window that traces the ancestry of Jesus from Jesse of Bethlehem.

We visited one last church in Eastwell that is in ruins, Saint Mary’s Church had a bomb dropped on it in WWII which destroyed the roof that was never repaired & it collapsed in 1951.

After leaving this church, we had a final big push walking across many field into Wye.

We are staying at the New Flying Horse Inn; but, but on the way to it, we saw the original Flying Horse Inn which was a 15th Century coaching inn.

We saw this marker along the way today showing we are getting closer to Canterbury.

Aylesford to Lenham

Day 12 – Distance walked 16 miles

We enjoyed perfect walking weather- temperatures in the low 60s & no rain.

We walked many miles through vineyards & could see even more vineyards in the surrounding countryside. England is now starting to produce many sparkling wines. Keep your eye out for North Downs Kent wine.

Early in the walk through a forest, our guidebook told us to look for a pilgrim carved from a tree stump that was off the trail. We spent a good 10 minutes looking for it because it was very well hidden in the forest; but, my eagle eye husband found it.

With it being the weekend, families with horses were enjoying the good weather.

Once again, we walked several miles down narrow country roads, often following the original Pilgrims Way.

Crossing fields with livestock & crops is also the norm. But, one sign told us to watch out for adders!

The path also took us by historic old inns & taverns dating back centuries. In Hollingbourne, a place called The Dirty Habit pub was started in the 13th Century. It was once known as The Pilgrims Rest. Its present name derives from the clothes monks wore as they worked the monastery’s farmlands & vineyards.

Sometimes the path is wide, but at other times, we walk a narrow path between two fences.

As usual, we were on the look out for old Norman churches. Today we saw four. Even though it was Sunday, only the first church was open. Another had its entryway open with its stamp available so we could record it in our pilgrim passports.

Church #1 – St Mary and All Saints in Boxley It has a carved head showing Edward II who stayed at the nearby abbey. He is probably best known as the English king who was defeated by Robert the Bruce in 1307 in Scotland’s First War of Independence.

Church #2 – Saint Martin’s Church in Detling This church dates from the 12th Century. Inside it has one of the earliest wooden lecterns in England.

Church #3 – St Mary the Virgin Church in Thurnham This church dates from the 12th Century; but, there is evidence an earlier church stood on this ground. For much of its history, it was the private chapel for a wealthy family,

Church #4 – St John the Baptist at Harrietsham This church’s construction dates from the late 11th Century to the early 12th Century.

It was a long day & I was happy to see Lenham in the distance. It amazes me there are so many public walking paths through fields & I am very glad they do.

Our cute hotel for the evening The Dog and Bear was built in 1602. Queen Anne stayed here in 1704 & her coat of arms hang above the front door. Queen Anne was the last Stuart monarch to rule Britain. She had 17 children; but, outlived them all, thus, she had no direct heir to assume the throne. Her second cousin George I from Hannover, Germany, was named monarch by the Parliament in 1714. His ascension started the Hanoverian line which provided Britain with six ruling monarchs which ended when Queen Victoria died in 1901. Their crown passed to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Warta which is now known as the Windsor royal family who rules today with Charles III as sovereign.

Rochester to Aylesford

Day 10 – Distance walked 13 miles

We enjoyed a nice day on the route. Only 4 more days to go!

To leave Rochester, we back tracked along the Medvey River & we soon reached a new trail meandering over fields & through woods.

Along the way we saw two women walking 10 dogs!! I am constantly amazed at how well mannered all the dogs have been on this journey. Not one of these dogs was barking, pulling on its leash, or was a least bit concerned as we walked past.

I took a picture of a rock pile made from flint. We have seen flint rocks in the fields since leaving Winchester. That makes sense because the terrain is dominated by chalk cliffs & flint is formed within these cliffs, then those modules get washed out into the fields. Locals use flint in building structures & for paving.

Our first stop was at an old lonely church standing in the country all by itself called St. Mary’s near Burbank. A message on the door said the church is close to 1,000 years old.

Upon entering this church, I quickly realized what happens to these old churches when they no longer have a congregation & a vicar.

Thankfully, England’s Churches Conservation Trust along with other people on the local community is trying to save this lovely old building.

When you walk in other places in Europe such as in the Alps, there are often trail markers indicating the distance to the next location. This is the first such sign we have seen on this pilgrimage.

Since it was Saturday, we saw horses being trained at more than one place along the trail.

The main stop on our walk today was the Aylesford Priory known locally as The Friars.

We enjoyed walking these grounds which are free & open to the public.

Aylesford Priory was founded in 1248 by Saint Simon Stock from the Carmelite order making it the oldest Carmelite priory in England. A priory is a monastery run by a religious leader known as a “prior”. It functions like an abbey, but, is smaller in scale & falls under another larger monastery’s control.

The Friars’ members came from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land which is how their order gained its name (Mount Carmel is now located in northern Israel). Crusader Richard de Grey sponsored them to travel to England & gave them a land parcel along the Medvey River on his manor in Aylesford to establish their monastery.

After Henry VIII split from the Catholic Church in 1538, he forcibly evicted the Carmelites & confiscated their property with no compensation. Over the next four centuries, the priory’s buildings were repurposed & used as opulent homes for various royals & wealthy people.

After being run down for many years & ravaged by a fire in 1930, the property was eventually offered for sale & in 1949, the Carmelites bought it. They immediately began restoring it as a place of worship reinstating many medieval features.

The modern shrine chapel contains the skull relic from the priory’s founder Saint Simon Stock. Its other chapel is dedicated to Saint Anne who was Mary’s mother & Jesus’ grandmother. The open shrine which is based on the original design began construction in 1958 & the mosaics were added between 1966 & 1986.

In 1280, the Pilgrims Hall was built making it the oldest building at The Friars. This structure made the priory a welcome stop for pilgrims on their journey to Canterbury who would gather around an open fire to stay warm & enjoy hot food in Pilgrims Hall. Over its door is a Thomas Becket statue.

Many pilgrims & tourists choose to stay here for the night & live like a monk. In case you are interested, the priory has 80 rooms available at varying prices & comfort levels.

The priory is still active with Carmelite fathers.

After leaving The Friars, we walked through the quaint village of Aylesford.

Ayslesford has a 14th Century bridge that is still used.

Our hotel was a mile away from Aylesford. The path we chose to take was actually closed; but, that didn’t deter us. We went around the locked gate & kept going. 🤣 Se negotiated several trail blocks & all was good until I needed to go under a low rail in the fence.

Last stop before the hotel was passing the Allington Lock. On the other side of this lock, even this far inland, the Medvey River is still subject to the ocean’s tide

Vigo to Rochester

Day 10 – Distance walked 12.5 miles

Lovely day for a walk through forests bordering fields. Best of all… no rain!

Part of the route sometimes takes us on very narrow country lanes. When vehicles approach, we stop & hug the sides to give them enough clearance so they don’t hit us. When two vehicles meet going in opposite directions on these small lanes, it’s a bit of give & take to give themselves enough room to pass.

Our first historic stop was the former 12th Century St. Lawrence Chapel in Upper Halling which was a pilgrim’s church turned into three homes in the 19th Century.

In Halling, we went to the St John the Baptist Church. However, it was closed which prevented us from seeing some 12th Century wall murals.

A few miles later we walked into Wouldham to visit the All Saints Church. When we arrived it was closed, so we decided to have a short break on a bench by the door. As luck would have it, before long, a woman arrived with a key to open the church because she was to there to allow a teen school group to see the church.

The tombstone above is for Walter Blake from Wouldham who was the purser on Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory at the historically momentous Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Blake held Nelson in his arms as Nelson died from his battle wounds. The church displays a copy of the famous “The Death of Nelson” painting in which local son Blake is shown holding Nelson,

England still celebrates Nelson’s victory every 21 October on Trafalgar Day. The All Saints Church in Wouldham is among the few places in England given special permission by the Royal Navy to fly its battle ensign from its tower on that date.

Here is a cute telephone booth in Wouldham turned into a small library.

After Wouldham, we had a nice walk up to Rochester along the marshland & shoreline along the Medway River.

Upon reaching Rochester, a nice woman encouraged us to take a break at a little coffee shop next to the river. Of course, I had tea.

The two main attractions in Rochester are the castle & the cathedral.

Built around 1127, Rochester Castle not only has the tallest keep (tower) in Great Britain at 113 feet high; but also, in all of Europe.

Founded in 604AD, Rochester Cathedral is the 2nd oldest church in England (Saint Martin’s Church in Canterbury is England’s oldest church dating back prior to 597 AD when Saint Augustine arrived in England from Rome). The present building dates back to 1083. It is very impressive!

It has stone steps worn away over the centuries by pilgrims that they are now covered by wood to prevent further wear while allowing visitors too see where the penitent passed on their knees to show respect at the shrine of Saint William of Rochester like Jim is doing.

The cathedral has a stained glass window dedicated to William of Perth (Scotland) who became Saint William of Rochester. He is depicted holding a shell because the shell is the symbol for pilgrims & he was killed on a pilgrimage to Canterbury.

William was a devout man who went to mass everyday. He was also a baker & would give every tenth loaf he baked to the hungry. He adopted an abandoned child & taught him his trade. Years later while on a pilgrimage together, his adopted son robbed & killed him. Monks from Rochester discovered his body, carried it to the cathedral, & buried it there.

Upon being canonized, Saint William of Rochester became the patron saint of adopted children,

The cathedral’s Wheel of Fortune painting inspired Geoffrey Chaucer to include “The Monks Tale” in his “ Canterbury Tales” written in 1397. The monk’s story about the fickleness of fortune is said to be based on this painting which now only partially survives.

Here is an Interesting story about the wooden ceiling sculpture pictured below.

A docent in the cathedral pointed out this oddity to us or else we never would have seen it & our guide book doesn’t mention it. He said that for some unknown reason such as perhaps the artist wanted to make fun of how the church treated women, he painted this sign of disrespect high on a wooden ceiling girder. The artist was able to get away with it because for centuries the church was only lit by daylight & candles & this high ceiling section was hard to see. Additionally, the soot from the burning candles eventually covered it & it was not discovered until the soot was cleaned some years ago.

Here is an Interesting story about Henry VIII meeting his 4th wife Anne of Cleaves (Germany) for the very first time in Rochester. Henry sought to marry Anne to secure an alliance with German Protestants against the Catholics in France. Since Henry had never seen Anne let alone met her, Henry commissioned a painting of her. Finding her appearance attractive, he agreed to marry her. Henry was way ahead of his time as he kind of like was swiping right on a dating app.

They did not make a love connection & their marriage was quickly annulled. it basically only lasted 6 months from 6 January 1540 to 12 July 1540.

Anne was given a generous settlement & she & Henry remained on friendly terms.

Charles Dickens lived close to Rochester & used it as a location in some of his books. Rochester’s High Street really does look like a place straight from his books.

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.

Tatsfield to Dunton Green

Day 8 – Walked 8.5 miles

After yesterday’s 19 miles & 11 hour walk, it was very nice only to walk for 4 hours.

The weather was rain with hail, sunshine, rain, sunshine, etc. all day. I put on my rain pants for the first time during the hike.

We were directly on the old pilgrim route for part of the day as shown by these signs.

England now has vineyards. I knew this from listening to NPR’s Market Place.

We walked next to some vineyards yesterday & today.

Took a break about half way on the route.

Just like yesterday, we hit a road block on our route because estates do not want people passing on their property.

Behind this gate is the very nice trail that Google Maps & Trail apps show available to walk… but, it is not open.

After a detour uphill, we circled around & saw the home in the distance.

Chevening House was built in the 1630s with the side wings added in 1717. In 1792, the family closed the Pilgrims’ Way section on their grounds to stop travelers from passing the house.

We visited one church today called St. Botolph’s Church; but, unfortunately, it was closed. We hoped a key we found in the vestibule would work to open the door; but no luck. So no pilgrim stamp. 😔. It would have been nice since he is the patron saint to travelers & good to have him with us in spirit. 👼

After more rain, wind, & sunshine, we arrived at our cute hotel.

Reigate to Tatsfield (near Oxted)

Day 7 – Walked 19 miles. Yikes, that was a long way!

Enjoyable day with near perfect weather. No rain & it was never very warm. Once again, followed signs for the North Downs Way trail.

We shared the path with riders & their horses again.

Came across these Millennium Stones on our way to Merstham.

We are only able to walk exactly on some sections from the original Pilgrims Way from Medieval times. At times, we see signs saying we are on the old road where pilgrims passed for centuries,

Today, We visited two very old churches today dating back to pre-Norman Times. The first was St. Katharine’s Church which has existed for 1,400 years & still has the original baptismal font in it.

The church vicar & priests had just finished their daily meeting & welcomed us heartily. A Priest is an ordained minister who can perform sacraments while a Vicar is specifically a priest in the Church of England (Anglican Church) responsible for a parish. So, all Vicars are priests; but, not all priests are Vicars.

At the door, one priest told us the church’s history. He said it is believed that Roman ruins are under the church, so the church has ruled out any new construction or renovations requiring digging because dealing with antiquities requires too many reviews & approvals by multiple agencies. As we entered, he pointed out St Katherine over the door.

After stamping our pilgrim passport, we were greeted by the Vicar who was a woman. She was so happy we were visiting the church & kept apologizing for her appearance since she had recently gone for a swim in the nearby lake. (Brrrr)

She offered us a prayer for a safe journey & allowed us to get a picture with her.

The next place a few miles down the road in Chaldon was the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul. To see this church we knew we would add 2 extra miles to our journey; but, we felt the extra distance would be worth it to see its famous wall painting.

This church is from Saxon origin & is recorded in a 727 AD charter. The present church was started in the late 10th or early 11th century before the Norman conquest in 1066. The vividly colored wall painting is known as the “Doom Mural” because it shows the biblical Day of Judgment. It depicts the “Purgatory Ladder”, the “Tree of Knowledge” along with scenes showing heaven & hell, including the devil, other demons, & tortures for committing various sins. This painting in dark red & yellow ocher was done around 1070 making it the oldest intact wall painting in England. I I also included an index explaining the mural’s scenes

I also included a photo showing a “T” inscribed in this church’s pillar centuries ago representing Thomas Becket for whom this pilgrim trail honors.

Back on the trail, we saw one of the very few Pilgrim Way signs, a glimpse of downtown London in the distance & a historic stone house.

We also stopped at small pub called The Harrow which has some WWII history.

This 400 year old pub was the headquarters for the British Home Guard during World War II. When it was thought the ridge on which it was located may be used to defend against a possible Nazi invasion, fighting positions were built just in case. There is a map on wall showing the local defense plan. At 718 feet in altitude, it is also the highest pub along the Pilgrim Way near the trail’s highest point at 787 feet.

Compared to walking the Camino de Santiago where you meet a different pilgrim almost every hour, on this path we have basically met no pilgrims. However, today we met a family of 3 doing a small section on the route walking in the opposite direction. We enjoyed swapping stories & giving each other tips.

Our path took us up long hills,

Back down again

and across the motorway more than once.

Very late in the day, we were forced off the trail due to it being closed by private residences across whose land it normally passed which caused major backtracking & a huge detour.

The last mile was was a struggle for me; but, we finally arrived after 11 hours on the trail to our lodging which was a Days Inn. (Yes, the same as in the States.)

Happy to say we are more than half way now. Seven more days to go!

West Humble to Reigate

Day 6 – 11.2 miles walking

Today’s highlights were stepping stones, a few up & downs on steep hills, & a church.

Not long after leaving our hotel, we crossed these strategically placed Stepping Stones on the River Mole.

After this river crossing, we had a long climb up to the view point on Box Hill. It is a nice place to rest & enjoy the view. The view from here was believed to have been enjoyed by Jane Austen.

From there we took a detour off the path to Betchworth to visit another old Norman church called Saint Michael’s. It has another claim to fame by being the church for Wedding #1 in the movie “Four Weddings & a Funeral.”

In case you don’t remember, this is the wedding at which Hugh Grant’s character is the best man & at the altar he realizes he forgot the wedding rings during his great haste to get to the wedding on time after having over slept.

His buddy at the church bails him out by handing him a gaudy colorful plastic ring for the bride & a heavy metal skeleton head ring for the groom that he scrounged from the wedding goers.

That movie came out in 1994 & the docent at the church said there was a big party at the church two years ago to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Even though it is well off the pilgrim trail, a nice woman at the church found a stamp for us to use in our trail passport books.

Homes near the church can also be seen in the movie.

It started to rain a little, so our lunch stop was at a convenient little bus stop in Betchworth.

Over the next few hours we did our best to stay dry as we climbed once again into the chalk hills & made our way along the wooded trail.

Not a lot to share from this trail segment; but, it is hard to beat a nice walk in England.