Together with her husband, Alison will be walking from Walsingham in North Norfolk to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain – a distance of some 1,600 miles (see the map for some idea of the distance involved). They will spend their time walking in solidarity with homeless and badly housed people and will be reflecting on the idea of hospitality. They also hope to raise some money to support the work of Housing Justice.
You can support them here >>
Choosing a route
Alison was inspired to do this walk because she has been a member of the cross-carrying pilgrimage called Student Cross since she was a student. Student Cross is an annual pilgrimage where several groups or “Legs” walk, each carrying a large wooden cross, from different parts of England to Walsingham during Holy Week (see http://www.Studentcross.org.uk ). This pilgrimage started in 1948 and followed the example of a major peace pilgrimage called Pilgrim Cross, which involved 14 groups of people walking from different parts of war torn France to Vezelay in North Burgundy. The crosses they carried still form the Way of the Cross in the Basilica there.
When Alison and Ian, her husband, first decided to walk to Santiago they realised that they could walk from Walsingham to Vezelay and then join the official pilgrim route (or Camino) to Santiago. Once they had decided to do this the rest of the route began to take shape.
While planning the route to the Channel coast they knew that they would have to pass through London. As Alison had researched devotion to Mary in Medieval England while at Cambridge, it became obvious to her that it would be a good idea to try to link the two major medieval shrines to Mary founded in Walsingham and Willesden. So, the route began to have a Marian theme which is also reflected in the fact that they will stop at Ely where there is a significant Lady Chapel in the cathedral, and will end up sailing from Portsmouth, which is another site with links to Mary.
From Le Havre, the pair will walk to Chartres which has a famous medieval Mary statue before heading south to Vezelay (a major pilgrimage site devoted to Mary Magdalene and the site at which St Bernard preached the Second Crusade as well as the destination of the 1946 pilgrimage) and on through Nevers (where Bernadette of Lourdes spent the latter part of her life), through Limoges and Perigueux, Bazas and Orthez to St Jean Pied de Port which signals the beginning of the Spanish part of the Camino.
During their walk, Alison and Ian will be relying on the good hearts of many people for shelter and support. Although simple pilgrims’ hostels are on the route from Vezelay to Santiago no such facilities will be available before that stage in the journey. They hope to sleep on church hall floors and perhaps be given a place to sleep by local parishioners and others as they make their way across England and France.
Anyone who has contacts on their route are welcome to offer assistance – a full list of the expected stops can be viewed here>> for you to check out just in case you can help.
Drumming up support
Alison and Ian will be walking for two simple reasons. The first is that this is a spiritual retreat/pilgrimage. They will be praying and reflecting as they travel from place to place. They will carry devotions with them and will happily pray for others as requested. They are fully mindful of the fact that pilgrimage has always been something that was done both for the individuals themselves and done on behalf of others, too. So, please let them know if there is something or someone that you would like for them to pray for during their pilgrimage. The fact that they are walking in solidarity with homeless and badly housed people will be reflected in both the prayers that they will regularly share and in the contemplation and reflections they will produce on and after the pilgrimage.
The second reason is that they would like to raise badly needed funds for the charity – Housing Justice. All of the money raised by their walk will go directly to Housing Justice and you can be completely assured that no money will be spent on the pilgrimage itself – that is being wholly financed by Alison and her husband. So, donations paid through the Justgiving page, sponsorship forms, by post and through this website will all go directly to the work of Housing Justice.
If you are seeking a numerical link between the pilgrimage and your donation you might consider sponsoring Alison and Ian’s distance by paying a penny a mile (£16.00) or by paying approximately 10p a day (for a 100 days walking) which would be £10.00. Of course, it may be indelicate to offer to sponsor blisters (although prayers hoping that they do not suffer any would be very welcome).
Timing
Alison and Ian will begin their epic walk on the 5th April, which is Easter Monday. They will have just completed their cross-carrying pilgrimage to Walsingham (130 miles from Kettering) and will have celebrated Easter with the rest of the pilgrims in Walsingham. It will take them about two weeks to reach Portsmouth, and Chartres is about six days south of Le Havre. A further eight days will find them in Vezelay and seventeen days later they will arrive in Limoges. Twenty-two days after this they will arrive at the Spanish border in St Jean Pied de Port and from there it is only thirty-seven more days to Santiago de Compostela.
Obviously, the itinerary will include a rest every seven days or so but in order to complete their pilgrimage in the allotted time they will have to walk an average of about 16 miles a day. Averages hide the extremes and, yes, they will face some days of more than twenty miles and some (very few) closer to twelve to fourteen miles. They hope to leave as early as they can each morning and reach their evening destination in plenty of time in order to arrange the stop for the night. This is not a package deal. There will be very few stops where the couple will be able to say that they know for definite where they will be laying their head that night. They have a couple of “bivvy” bags for emergencies – these are, essentially, large waterproof bags which they can use to sleep in; to keep themselves dry and relatively warm if they end up without a place to stay for the night.
They will eat simply and, will no doubt enjoy very generous hospitality on occasions and experience less congenial circumstances from time to time as well. All of this will be part of what they expect from such a pilgrimage.
They will be carrying all of their belongings with them on their backs – which will ensure that their lives will be kept very simple!
Keeping in touch
Alison will take her Blackberry which we hope to have linked via the GPS system to Google Maps and people will be able to follow their progress across England, France and Spain. Ian and Alison will also upload pictures, reflections and a blog (see the links) so that people can keep up to date with their progress and share in some of the experiences and lessons gained from the journey.
There will be times when they will be in a signal black spot or will be nowhere near an internet or wifi cafe but, wherever possible, they will keep in touch and let everyone know what is going on.
All they ask is that you pray for and support them and, of you can, show your generosity by pledging some money through the Justgiving site or directly to Housing Justice or you could even support them by raising money in their name for Housing Justice!
The following is a prayer which they will say every time they set off (in the morning and after every stop) and a Grace which they will share before eating every day, too. Please use these and pass them on to others wherever possible.
Thank you!
The Cross and the Shell Pilgrim Prayer
We praise you and we bless you, God our Father,
for sending us your Son.
He went about among us doing good.
He travelled light with nowhere to lay his head.
Resolutely he set his face to Jerusalem,
and walked there, to the centre of conflict,
compelled by your costly reconciling love.
Bless us your pilgrims, and guide our steps
as we seek to walk by faith;
strengthen us by your Spirit,
today and until we reach our place of resurrection.
We ask this in the name the one
who is the Way, the Truth and the Life,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen
(Adapted from materials in The Pilgrim’s Manual, Wild Goose Publications.)
A Pilgrim Grace
Loving Creator,
the source of all things,
you have brought us here
to share this food.
Bless us as we eat together
give us the strength to serve you
and to keep faithful to our journey.
Bless those who welcome us,
who feed and shelter us
and share their stories with us.
And shine your eternal light
on all who are left homeless
or are trapped in places dominated by
fear, discomfort, impoverishment and oppression.
Let this food and companionship
lighten out step, ease our load
and guide us towards your open arms.
Amen