Pilgrims Way – Day 7

• Start: The Donnington Manor Hotel, Dunton Green, Kent
• End: Halling Train Station, Halling, Kent
• Distance: 27.16 km
• Time: 08 hours 13 minutes 57 seconds

Last day!!

Breakfast was a hurried affair as we were eager to be off, we had a train to catch 🚂(in about 8 hours).

However, we had not reckoned with the weather finally turning, so some time was spent hoicking out the wet weather gear.

Our uneasy feeling that it was going to be an unpleasant morning was not helped by the receptionists shocked “You’re not going walking out there are you” when we checked out!

In the end it wasn’t that bad, we got a bit wet trudging up the first hill but our waterproofs are good and there was lots to see in the first few hours.

Firstly, we had the surprisingly pretty town of Oxted, with an attractive duckpond and a very impressive church.

The proximity to Canterbury was evident today in the wealth of the churches, both in the quality of things like their windows and memorials from a bygone age, but also in their modern extensions and well kept roofs. It was a far cry from the more impoverished churches we are used to in Hampshire.

Next we came to Kemsing, this time with a well rather than a pond, St Edith’s in fact, and another wealthy looking church. This one was supposedly haunted by the ghost of one of the knights who killed Beckett!

However, the best thing for me in Kemsing (as a woman of a certain age 👵)was the public WC.

This one had been built after 15 years of campaigning by Babs Watson. Well done Babs!!🚽🥳

Lunch was in Wrotham, a large village with three open pubs!!

None of which actually served food, at least not on a wet Friday lunchtime in August. So, we bought some sandwiches from the local shop and ate them on a bench in the churchyard instead.

The church in Wrotham, again conspicuously wealthy, had some lovely brasses.

It’s claim to fame is that, as it was consecrated in the 10th century, it is the oldest church in England to be dedicated to St George.

After lunch the sun came out, occasionally, and the way wended itself through lovely woods,

with periodic splendid panoramas of the Medway valley,

including the odd traditional Kentish Oast house.

When we finally reached the outskirts of Halling, we were a bit daunted by the position of the village, particularly as it was nearly time for our train!

However, we struggled up the final hill, pausing briefly to take a photograph at the top,

before arriving at Halling station, just as the train arrived at the platform.

Note: This image was found on the internet as I didn’t have time to take one myself!.

And so we are done, (for the moment). Stages 3 – 10 of the Pilgrims Way have been completed in 7 days.

We are, however, already contemplating doing the final 4 stages from Halling to Canterbury in October!

Final stats:

• Start: Alton train station, Alton, Hampshire
• Finish: Halling Train station, Halling, Kent
• Total Distance: 153.66 km
• Total Time Taken: 51 hours 38 minutes 0 seconds
• Total number of churches visited: 14