ST CUTHMAN PILGRIMAGE WALK - 18 MILES
About the walk and my stiry -
Ihave always felt connected and drawn to Shoreham-by-Sea. Four years ago I cycled the Downs Link route and pressed on to Shoreham and felt at home; the energy just deeply connected with me. I still look back at that ride with great pleasure and want to do it again.
Recently I learnt that Bramber had the only place in southern England, where Pilgrims stayed overnight - St. Mary's House - on their pilgrimage to St. Thomas's shrine at Canterbury. This is not correct for I know of many. So I pulled out my maps and planned a walk over the South Downs to see this 15th. century half timbered house. Sadly I arrived on a Saturday and it was not open, but I was able to see the building and gardens.
I half explored Bramber, saw the castle from a distance and planned to come back to explore further. I was running out of time, so headed
down beside the River Adur and saw there was a chapel marked on the map at Lancing College. I left the river and found the chapel and joined a huge crowd, as it was Founder's Day. From a distance I could see the prominent building but had no idea about its history or its staggering beauty. I was blown away that such a building existed and only some 100 years old, but masterfully done. Again I resolved to come back and explore further and became a “Friend”.
I walked on back to the river and onto Shoreham-by-Sea. I headed to
the railway station and passed, to my astonishment, a magnificent
Norman church dedicated to St. Mary de Haura; again I resolved to
come back!
Three weeks later I was back exploring the church and learning about
the Hospitallers who helped pilgrim’s and Crusader’s “Take the Cross”,
by boarding boats at Shoreham harbour for Spain and Santiago de
Compostela, and to Rome and Jerusalem. The whole area was
becoming a forgotten medieval pilgrimage destination with so many
clues emerging.I| walked back to Bramber and explored the ruined
castle and the outstanding Norman “Chapel” beside it, dedicated to St. Nicholas.
Back in the office I looked at the maps again to finalise the pilgrim route and to check in my reference books about the area. I soon learnt that I had missed St. Botolph’s church near the river and just off the South Downs Way, and was considered one of the top 500 Holy sites of Britain. I had to go back again!
Back on the maps |I worked out how to get to another church in Upper Breeding that I had tried to reach but failed to find the path, so this too was added to my new list. Then across the river.was Steyning and I soon learnt the origina! church there, was built by St. Cuthman in the 8th century and he had an amazing story. This really was a holy area with Selsey Abbey - now lost - playing a major role in the expansion of Christianity in the area and to Chichester.
So from one simply motivated walk and cycle, I had discovered a major pilgrimage area to explore. Its secrets had slowly been uncovered creating an amazing walk to several major holy sites. So armed with all this information I set off again and walked it all and created this walk linking everything together. Shoreham had proved the magnet and my gut instincts were right and led me to uncover the plethora of medieval religious places in this area of southern England. I hope you enjoy the pilgrimage, the discovery and too wonder at places walked to, for it is an exceptional area.
Hathy Pulorimage
Read. Yohul. Merrill
PS. From St. Botolph’s church you can visit another exceptional church by walking along Coombes Road to Coombes and onto Lancing Chapel The small Norman church, which has no dedication, has Norman wall paintings, one of St. Mark's lion, discovered in 1949. In the churchyard is the grave of Henry Daniel who died in 1860. On the gravestone are the wolrds - “I shall not be here long, Mother”!
A5. Placed in a plastic wrap around cover and sihgned by John Merrill.
Pilgrim badge and signed certiicate are available from John Merrill.
Succesful pilgrims are added to my Walkers roll of Honour page.