IT IS an unseasonably warm and sunny September day, and a
straggling group of 50 people is making its way along the Thames
Path between Bourne End and Maidenhead. There is nothing unusual in
that - apart from the size of the group, that is, and that no one
is saying a word.
It is the afternoon hour of silence, when pilgrims are invited
to walk in contemplation. Quite what the passing dog-walkers make
of us tacet pilgrims is an open question.
A few miles on, we pause for a drink, and the (now retired)
Bishop of Oxford gently brings us out of the silence. The walk
resumes, and so does the conversation; but the mood has shifted
subtly. It is hard to put our finger on what, exactly, has changed,
but there is a sense of having shared something out of the
ordinary.
It's either that, or it's the cheerful thought that we are
nearly at our destination, where members of the congregation of St
Luke's, Maidenhead, are waiting to serve us a marvellously English
tea in the beautiful setting of Ray Mill Island, a public park in
the middle of the Thames.
Our hosts do us proud: not only do they produce hot tea (without
electricity), but there is an impressive array of home-made cake
and sandwiches. And, as a result of a frantic exchange of text
messages, they have even managed to shift the whole event forward,
because we have arrived earlier than planned. The afternoon ends
with a short open-air act of worship.
Our journey to Maidenhead is the ninth day of the ten-day,
104-mile-long pilgrim route along the Thames, the Thames Pilgrim
Way. It is a gentler day than some, in that we walk only eight
miles (day two stretched to 13 miles); but, for those of us who
have walked every day, the lower mileage provides welcome relief
for blistered feet.
We are walking to inaugurate this brand new pilgrimage route
through the heart of the diocese of Oxford. The idea came out of
the enthusiasm for pilgrimage of the Rt Revd John Pritchard, then
Bishop, matching the recent surge in interest in pilgrimage, from
both inside and outside the Church.
About 70 of the diocese's 815 parish churches lie within half a
mile of the River Thames, many of them treasures. Why not, the
group setting up the route thought, reclaim and bless a
well-established national trail, which happily passes through the
three counties that make up our diocese, and create a pilgrim way
for posterity?
Besides being beautiful, the mighty River Thames offers a
powerful symbol for baptism, new life, journeys, and so on.
PILGRIM routes, old and new, are springing up all over the world.
Statistics from Santiago de Compostela, which is visited by about
200,000 a year, suggest that 50 per cent of pilgrims are under 25.
Seventy-seven per cent make the journey on foot, and 22 per cent by
bicycle. Only about half say that they belong to a religious
denomination.
Working with the former Bishop, I was part of the group that
consulted the parishes along the Thames. We divided the route -
from Radcot, on the edge of the Cotswolds, in rural west
Oxfordshire, to Runnymede, not far from the M25, and directly under
the Heathrow flight-path - into manageable stages, and, where
possible, linked to public transport. We designed a logo, created a
website that was optimised for smartphones, and prepared a handbook
full of maps, practical information, and spiritual reflection.
For various reasons, the idea took a couple of years to execute.
But, in the end, the timing fitted serendipitously with the
Bishop's retirement: the Thames pilgrimage offered him the chance
to spend ten days in September walking through his large diocese,
meeting about 200 people, from babes in arms to a 93-year-old - a
month before laying down his episcopal staff in the cathedral.
EACH day begins with a morning gathering, and an act of worship.
Two or three hours later, we break for lunch and a midday
reflection, where food for thought for the silent hour is
suggested. At the end of the day, we pause again for prayer at our
destination.
Every day provides its own fascination. We walk through a
surprisingly deserted landscape for the first couple of days,
before reaching the glories of Oxford. Pretty Thames-side villages
nestling in leafy landscape follow. Tilehurst and Reading provide a
more urban setting, before the well-heeled towns of Henley, Marlow,
and Maidenhead - and, at the end, the splendid views of Eton
College and Windsor Castle - greet us.
The stages average ten miles each, and, since the pilgrimage
route largely hugs the river, the path is generally flat - the one
exception being the steep hill at Goring Gap (day six). The week we
are walking, the path is in excellent shape: firm underfoot, and
easy to follow. Just nine months earlier, great swaths of the
Thames Path were under water, as a result of the winter's dramatic
floods. Flooding frequently means repairs and diversions; so fellow
pilgrims should check this before setting out.
NONE the less, some of our party are challenged by the walking.
One or two discover that they are not as fit as they had hoped,
while others find the gentle group-pace frustrating. This is
central to the experience of group pilgrimage. For all its
frustrations, there is something hugely important about travelling
together, about falling into a rhythm each day, about looking after
our fellow travellers should they stumble. Journeying together
means sacrificing one's own habits and inclinations to the common
good. In spiritual terms, that letting go proves to be
liberating.
We pilgrims gradually fall into step with one another, and begin
to chat: idly at first, but with more intent as the days go on. We
share our stories, discuss our faith, and share our heartbreaks. As
we relax with each other, laughter bubbles up. A running gag
emerges about the superfluous safety briefing (as advised by
Ecclesiastical Insurance), and friendships form.
One or two walkers, who initially signed up for a single day,
make covert phone calls, rejigging their diaries to wangle more
time on the riverside. All of us report feeling refreshed and
nourished by the silence.
Of course, there are mishaps. One day, the back-up vehicle has
to be pulled out of a ditch by a passing tractor; a phone and car
keys go missing (both are later found); and the Bishop's lunch goes
astray, necessitating an emergency flapjack. But, helped by
glorious weather (only one hour's rain in ten days), magnificent
hospitality along the way, and a splendid open-air service at the
end - where pilgrims' feet are washed - our pilgrimage proves a
truly memorable experience.
LIKE many pilgrimage routes, the new Thames Pilgrim Way can be
walked in one ten-day span, or a day or two at a time, to fit other
commitments. It would be possible to walk the route alone, or as a
pair; but this would undoubtedly be a quite different
experience.
It might take more self-discipline to walk slowly, to pause and
pray at intervals throughout the day. But the idea was always that
there should be a legacy, and the route now exists in perpetuity
for anyone and everyone to discover.
Travel details
All the details about the Thames Pilgrim Way are online at
www.thamespilgrimway.org.uk. The smartphone-friendly site includes
directions, maps, and information about travel, accommodation, and
food. For each stage there is spiritual reflection, a prayer, and
an activity for children. Copies of Walking the Thames Pilgrim
Way are on sale for £5 plus p&p; phone 01865 208200. For
luggage-transfer along the Thames Path, email movemybags@gmail.com,
or visit www.movemybags.com. Visit also:
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/thames-path.
Other UK pilgrim routes to try Pilgrim's
Way
The 120-mile Pilgrim's Way from Winchester to Canterbury is made
up of a combination of the St Swithun's Way
(www3.hants.gov.uk/longdistance/st-swithuns-way) and the North
Downs Way (www.nationaltrail.co.uk/north
downs). St Swithun's Way (34 miles) runs between Winchester -
the capital of Saxon England - and Farnham. From Farnham, join the
North Downs Way to arrive at Canterbury Cathedral
(www.canterbury-cathedral.org).
St Cuthbert's Way
St Cuthbert's Way (http://stcuthbertsway.info,
www.stcuthbertsway.net) follows in the steps of the Anglo-Saxon
saint, and stretches from Melrose Abbey, on the Scottish borders,
where St Cuthbert started his religious life in 650, to Holy
Island, off the Northumberland Coast - his eventual resting place,
and his original pilgrimage shrine.
The Saints' Way
The Saints' Way, in Cornwall, stretches from Padstow (starting
at St Petroc's) to Fowey. The 30-mile walk is well signed with
Celtic-cross markers. Route guides are available at
www.cornwall.gov.uk and www.visitcornwall.com. See also St
Michael's Way.
The Way of St Andrews
The Way of St Andrews (www.thewayofstandrews.com), in Scotland,
has recently been revived, with the impressive ambition of
rivalling the Camino to Santiago de Compostela. The Way of St
Andrews incorporates the 200-mile St Columba's Way, from Iona in
the west to St Andrews in the east, but also incorporates a number
of less ambitious variations (the shorter St Margaret's Way from
Edinburgh, or the St Duthac's from Aberdeen, for example).
North Wales Pilgrim's Way
The 130-mile North Wales Pilgrim's Way, or Taith Pererin
(www.pilgrims-way-north-wales.org), links St Winefride's Well
(www.saintwinefrideswell.com),
at Holywell, with its long tradition of pilgrimage and healing,
with Bardsey Island (www.bardsey.org), the legendary island of
20,000 saints.