The Catholic Herald

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote… Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages. (When in April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root... Then people long to go on pilgrimages.) Such schoolboy memories of the opening to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and the discovery in April 2023 of London to Walsingham Camino: The Pilgrimage Guide by Andy Bull were the inspirations that led me to follow in the footsteps of our Catholic forebears. The author's Walsingham guide is rich in historical association, incisive comment and many practical tips. It also abounds in fine reproductions of religious art for which alone it deserves its place, regardless of its merits as a travel guide, on anyone's bookshelf. Two Americans (husband and wife), a Frenchman and myself began our mini pilgrimage on 15 April (in the same month as Chaucer) from Bury St Edmunds with the aim of reaching Walsingham in six days. The American man had been a student at Bordeaux at the same time as me, while he and the French pilgrim were old school friends. I had hoped to spend St George's Day (23 April) in Walsingham, though this did not elicit the same enthusiasm from the others! The Walsingham Camino has only recently received official recognition from The Confraternity of St James and there remain many teething problems to overcome: absence of way markings, no official luggage transfer service, parts of the route being alongside busy roads, while other parts passing through areas that were a bit too remote. There were, furthermore, other problems such as rail strikes and the closure of pubs and hotels, all victims of Covid lockdowns and the economic mayhem that has followed in its wake. I can’t deny it made one hanker somewhat for the high-level of organisation and almost ruthless efficiency displayed on the <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/pilgrims-progress-to-santiago/?swcfpc=1">Catholic Herald pilgrimages</a> that I took part in. The planning of the route was undertaken with care. Considerable time was given to poring over Ordnance Survey maps and practising compass work. We had assumed before setting off that route finding would be fairly straight forward but such logistical arrangements meant we were presented with serious difficulties.  The first day began with a prayer for the safety of all members of the group, and for their safe return home. The last petition included a request for the grace to preserve a spirit of charity in the group. On leaving the hotel, we were greeted with a heavy downpour, a strong cold wind and hailstones which made reading a map or consulting the guidebook’s walking notes downloaded from the internet impossible. Locating the start of the walk became quite a trial. Wandering around without much coming of it, including literally in circles, for more than an hour before the start of a 17-mile walk still to go was exasperating. This was not the sort of "penance" we had anticipated! More difficulties arose, though, further along the route when rights of way which featured on the map had been ploughed over and crops had been planted. This called for some "creative" route finding. Heavy items of luggage had been sent on by taxi to a pub in Thetford for a very reasonable fare. The landlady showed great kindness in agreeing to look after them for us before we arrived. We did repay her by buying drinks after we arrived in Thetford, an attractive town that has retained much of its historic past. Flint chipping on the outside of buildings is a distinctive feature. French ended up as the main language of our group, as our French friend’s grasp of English was shaky. Good fortune and chance encounters came to the fore (<a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/a-journey-of-contrasts-leading-herald-pilgrims-along-the-way-of-st-francis/?swcfpc=1">as they often do on any Camino</a>): in Thetford the barman had a French degree and put his linguistic skills to good use serving us with some aplomb. A few minutes later, we discovered to our surprise that a round of drinks had been bought for us by a German party. A stint in the French Foreign Legion had left them with well-nigh fluent French and they were eager to join in the conversation. After all, man is first and foremost, teaches St Thomas Aquinas, a social being who flourishes in contact with others. The following day was a 10-mile walk from Thetford to Brandon. On the outskirts of Thetford as we were leaving we first came across the ruins of a Norfolk Abbey. Faced with this scale of destruction, one is struck with an obvious realisation that evil only has the power to pull down. It's quite incapable of building anything up. Routefinding along this section was not too taxing and we reached Brandon, our destination, in good time. Brandon is unflatteringly but aptly described by the author of the guidebook as “a busy thoroughfare, often clogged with traffic, the main road lined with a string of hotels that carry the dust of all those vehicles.” Close to our hotel was a pub recommended in this year’s Good Beer Guide. We ate well, the beer was brewed locally and the evening's entertainment was provided by a female Eastern European arm wrestler who challenged all comers! The third day's walk to Great Cressingham was marred once again by route finding difficulties and the need to walk longish distances along busy roads. There was also one incidence of the closure of a path and access being barred by a locked gate. This required a detour across overgrown areas adding at least an hour to the walk. The Almighty did indeed impose a trial but his consolations were not long in being forthcoming. We arrived at a village called Midford and, crucially, at its pub before closing time and were able to order food and a drink. This did much to restore spirits. The spirit and physical nature are indeed inextricably linked. Continuing the walk from Minford would have involved walking long distances on a busy road. At this point, no one felt the slightest inclination to do this and the option of taking a taxi to Great Cressingham proved irresistible. After a few fruitless calls to local taxi firms, spirits began once again to drop. At this point, a lady standing at the bar offered to drive to the village where we were due to spend the night. She knew of our accommodation, which enjoys a fine reputation and did live up its high standards of hospitality. Family-run for three generations, the landlady informed us on arrival that she had received a late cancellation and that despite our booking a twin room we could now each have our own room at no extra cost. This sort of hospitality seemed in keeping with the establishment. Hotels, holiday lets and bed and breakfast were the only accommodation available along the route; the cheap hostels and albergues of the Camino are not a feature on the Way to Walsingham, yet. Perhaps, Providence had so arranged matters that even on a mundane level we came to realise that we are less in control of events than we like to think. A penny drops: somethings do work out better than ever we could have planned. The following day we came across some wonderful churches, some of which were open. The flat Norfolk countryside offered vast vistas of a multi-coloured landscape under high blue skies. On arrival in Castle Acre, one could not fail to notice that this was indeed a gem of a village. Unwrecked England, indeed! Its St James the Great Church houses many treasures and has strong associations with Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain’s Galicia. The church boasts a magnificent rood screen which features a remarkable painting of St James and his scallop shell. Castle Acre's greatest boast is the ruins of the Cluniac Priory. Computer models of the pre-Reformation site do convey some sense of the grandeur and sacredness of its buildings. Again, as on the outskirts of Thetford, one was left wondering just what manner of man could ever contemplate the wholesale destruction of anything which could inspire such awe. Hilaire Belloc remind us in his essay “The Permanency of Impermanence” that nothing, just nothing at all is permanent on this side of eternity. It was good to bear this in mind as we approached Walsingham. We arrived on a bright but cold morning. We immediately walked down from the village to the Slipper Chapel – named after how the pilgrims of old would “slip” off their shoes at this spot so that they could walk barefoot the final mile to the shrine – where a prayer of thanksgiving was offered for all the graces received. Just before leaving Walsingham, something caught my eye that turned my thoughts to the words and prophecy of Pope Leo XIII "When England returns to Walsingham, Our Lady will return to England." At the less lofty realm of our little band of merry pilgrims, we were content with how the prayer that was said on the first day was answered! Every member of the group returned home safe and sound. Readers should take all reasonable steps <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/pilgrimage-emphasised-by-vatican-as-opportunity-for-indulgences-during-jubilee-2025/?swcfpc=1">to make a pilgrimage</a> to Walsingham. They will not fail to be touched by the joy which permeates everywhere. A <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/reading-on-this-holy-island-a-modern-pilgrimage-across-britain-can-leave-you-yearning-for-a-bit-more-religious-commitment/?swcfpc=1">pilgrimage to a shrine in England</a> usually leads to a place where some defining moment in English history occurred. At <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/marygate-house-retreat-centre-suffering-structurally-after-54-years-of-storms-and-strong-winds-on-holy-island-of-lindisfarne/">Lindisfarne</a> or <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/rave-in-the-nave-at-canterbury-if-the-church-of-england-doesnt-know-what-its-cathedrals-are-for-can-we-have-them-back/">Canterbury</a>, for example, one becomes aware of great destruction or a particularly violent event. The same cannot be said of the likes of Santiago de Compostela or <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/pilgrims-diary-the-catholic-herald-heads-to-fatima/">Fatima</a>. While to compare in terms of which is “better” – an English-based pilgrimage versus a classic Camino route – is not really fair: <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/pilgrimage-standoff-assisi-or-santiago-de-compostela-its-a-tough-call/?swcfpc=1">each pilgrimage is unique and is usually appreciated on its own terms</a>. And common to all is what the Irish call The Craic: good cheer, companionship and affability at a human level. Let's leave the final words to Belloc: “There's is nothing worth the wear of winning but laughter and the love of friends!” Photo: The Slipper Chapel in Walsingham; file photo.

Tales of Walsingham: a pilgrim reflects on journeying to England's 'Nazareth'

MichaelSwift

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