Description

An old map A lost pilgrimage route A journey in search of our walking heritage

When Henry VIII banned pilgrimage in 1538 he ended not only a centuriesold tradition of walking as an act of faith but a valuable chance to discover the joy of walking as an escape from the burdens of everyday life

Much was lost when these journeys faded from our collective memory but clues to our past remain On an antique map in Oxfords Bodleian Library a faint red line threading through towns and villages between Southampton and Canterbury suggests a significant though longforgotten road Renamed the Old Way medieval pilgrims are thought to have travelled this route to reach the celebrated shrine of Thomas Becket

Described as Englands Camino this longdistance footpath carves through one of the nations most iconic landscapes one that links prehistoric earthworks abandoned monasteries Saxon churches ruined castles and historic seaports

Over four seasons travel writer Gail Simmons walks the Old Way to rediscover what a long journey on foot offers us today In the age of the car what does it mean to embrace slow travel Why does being a woman walking alone still feel like a radical act In an age when walking connects the nation can we now reclaim pilgrimage as a secular act

Winding 250 miles between the chalk hills and shifting seascapes of the south coast Gail ventures deep into our past exploring this lost path and telling a story of kings and knights peasants and pilgrims of ancient folklore and modern politics Blending history anthropology etymology and geology Gails walk along the Old Way reveals the rich natural and cultural heritage found on our own doorstep

P 2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd