ELY TO WALSINGHAM - 72 MILES

ABOUT THE WALK & MY STORY -

I have had a long fascination of Pilgrim routes on account of their
historical content. One of the earliest walks was along the Pilgrim's
Way from Winchester Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral, in time for
Christmas. It was only many years later that I read the life story of
Thomas Becket. One year I was approached to help in promoting the
East of England Heritage Route by walking 450 miles from Norwich.
En route to Durham I linked the cathedral cities of Ely. Peterborough,
Lincoln and York together. 

I usually slept in the Deanery in each cathedral city and had a special tour of the lesser visited parts of each cathedral. It was a wonderful walk in March, timed to reach York for Easter Monday and the pace-egg play. I set out from Norwich cathedral with the town crier announcing what I was doing and on reaching Durham cathedral, three weeks later, I ceremoniously clasped the Sanctuary knocker. A few years later before Christmas, I corrected an omission to the walk and walked from Beverley Minster to York Minster along the Minster Way; again another delightful walk.

It is only more recently that I learnt that there are pilgrim routes in
France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela, where the remains of
St. James are held. One year I walked 1,100 miles from Le Puy in France to Santiago. In 2002, | walked the Via de la Plata route from Seville to Santiago - 700 miles. I shall soon be doing one through Portugal to Santiago. I knew there were some short pilgrimage walks in Britain and for my more then five years, the plan to walk from Ely to Walsingham, had been sitting on my pile of walks to do. Then in early November, 2002, I booked accommodation along the route, resolved to walk it. As always I did no research before hand preferring to set off with the map and discover as I walked. This way you have no preconceived ideas of what is coming next and makes the experience more powerful.

It was then quite a shock to walk to past the Slipper Chapel in the dark and enter Walsingham, to stay at the Pilgrim House. I had no idea that here in Britain we have a pilgrimage centre, whilst not being as grand or spectacular as Santiago, was equal to it and Rome and
Jerusalem, Here, since the 11th century pilgrims have been coming to see “Our Lady of Walsingham”. Many kings have travelled here, including Henry 8th., who later destroyed it. Not only did they come
from London but from the west via Spalding and north via King’s Lynn.Suddenly, one “short” pilgrim’s walk of 72 miles, has opened a pandora’s box of walks to do!

I set off from Ely on a filthy wet day and walked across the fens to
Brandon, where pilgrims took a ferry across the river. Next day I
followed the marked, Pilgrim's Walk, from Weeting and eventually
onto Swaffham. My final day was via Castle Acre and its ruined priory
and onto Walsingham. Although another long wet day the pilgrimage
had been unforgettable. Here is my route and what I found and saw.
I hope you too follow in my footsteps and take up the pilgrim challenge and walk from Ely to Walsingham.

Happy pilgrimage abd walking!

A5 Guide book wrapped in a plastic wrap around cover and signed by John Merrill.

Special embroidered pilgrim badge i The Walsingham Way - and signed certificate for successful walker/pilgrims, signed by John Merrill.

All walkers added to my Walkers Roll of Honour page.