Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, Little Walsingham

Boasting pilgrimage credentials beyond compare, Little Walsingham drew vast numbers of medieval visitors and has been revived as the hub of several routes

Highlights

• Scene of vision of the Virgin Mary
• Reconstructed holy house
• Catholic and Anglican shrines
• Holy wells
• Ruins of medieval priory
• Churches and retreat houses

Little Walsingham was voted the nation’s favourite holy place in a poll by BBC Radio 4. Even in the 21st century, it still deserves such an accolade: the Blessed Virgin Mary herself has graced it for all time, putting it alongside many of the other great pilgrimage centres in Europe. The Mother of God’s intervention in this country’s spiritual development can still be experienced today.

There are three places you can visit that are directly connected to the medieval shrine: the Anglican shrine (a reconstruction), the Catholic shrine just outside the village, and the ruins of the priory that housed the original shrine. There are other churches in the vicinity too that add to the Walsingham story.

It all began 1,000 years ago when a Saxon woman called Lady Richeldis had a vision in which the Blessed Virgin took her to Nazareth. Mary showed her the house in which the Archangel Gabriel had delivered the Annunciation – the news that she was to bear the son of God. Lady Richeldis was given the dimensions of this house and told to construct a replica in Walsingham. A simple wooden cottage was duly built after miraculous signs showed her where to put it, near two holy wells. A corner of a field in Norfolk became forever a piece of the Holy Land.

That was the year 1061, and during the next 500 years, Walsingham grew into Britain’s foremost centre of pilgrimage, rivalled only by Canterbury. A monastery was built, and a huge priory church enclosed the original humble house under its roof. To illustrate the importance of this shrine, it is enough to note that every monarch for 300 years, from Henry III in 1226 to Henry VIII, made a pilgrimage here. Henry VIII even walked the last mile barefoot when he came in 1511.

Such humble respect for the shrine came to an abrupt end with the Reformation. The monastery was destroyed, the wooden image of the Blessed Virgin burned, and 11 people hanged outside the walls for daring to resist.

Much of the shrine has been reconstructed during the past 100 years. Little Walsingham is once again a holy place without parallel in Britain and comparable to few in Europe. Around 350,000 visitors come to this hallowed spot each year, shared between Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox believers alike with instructive common purpose. Perhaps only the sites of the Holy Land can give a greater sense of shared Christian tradition – none in Britain matches it for multi-denominational activity, though Lindisfarne comes close.

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Directions and information

Little Walsingham is 4 miles north of Fakenham, and 4 miles south of Wells-next-to-the-sea.  A pilgrimage called Student Cross is held every year when young people of all denominations walk to Walsingham for the Easter celebration.  Its website is www.studentcross.org.uk

If you buy one thing from Little Walsingham’s shops, make sure it is Every Pilgrim’s Guide to Walsingham, by Elizabeth Ruth Obbard. Written by a Carmelite nun this is well-researched, elegantly written and completely free of inter-denominational strife. The back of the book consists of thoughtfully compiled prayers and devotional material, essential for retreat organisers.

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Walsingham: the Anglican shrine (Holy House)

The Holy House was reconstructed in brick by the Anglican church in 1931, copying the dimensions of the original wooden house built by Lady Richeldis. It is now at the heart of a huge pilgrimage and retreat centre.

Visitors can light candles in the house and pray alongside the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, a replica of the medieval carving burned by Henry VIII.

The Holy House is effectively a shrine chapel in the middle of a much larger church, which is used for services several times a day. It feels almost like a mini cathedral, with 15 side chapels and a constant flow of pilgrims and priests.

Upstairs at the back of the building, on the right of the high altar, is a Russian Orthodox chapel with its iconostasis.

It took the determination and foresight of one parish priest to build all this. Father Hope Patten was appointed vicar of the local Anglican church in 1921. A man of strong Anglo-Catholic convictions, he used his own money to purchase a plot of land to the north of the priory ruins, believing this to be the site of the original shrine.

Archaeology has since shown he was out by 100m: the medieval Holy House was inside the priory, which is now a picturesque ruin.

But no matter, the site Fr Patten chose turned out to be miraculously suitable in other ways. While digging the foundations of the southeast corner, the builders came across an abandoned medieval well. The source of the water is probably linked to the original holy wells beside the priory. This well has been fully incorporated into the life and beliefs of the shrine church. It is by far the most active holy well in the Church of England. Pilgrims of all denominations queue up at 2:30 pm during the pilgrimage season to sip the holy water, to be marked with a cross on their forehead and to receive a sprinkling on their hands.

At other times of day, visitors can look down the steps at the lid of the well, but can’t gain direct access to the source. Buckets of the well water are helpfully left at the top of the steps, along with disposable cups.

Next to the shrine church lies a large visitors’ complex, capable of accommodating 200 pilgrims a night, with a refectory and cafe. The gardens have been developed into a full-scale devotional landscape, with a miniature Golgotha, stations of the cross, and even a cave recreation of the holy sepulchre.

The Anglican National Pilgrimage takes place on the spring bank holiday Monday each year, after the last Sunday in May. This starts with an outdoor service in the priory ruins, followed by a procession with the statue of Our Lady around the village to the Holy House. The Archbishop of Canterbury has led the service in the past.

Directions

Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, 2 Common Place, Walsingham NR22 6EF

www.walsingham.org.uk

W3W: refer.variously.solid

GPS: 52.8944N 0.8760E

The Anglican shrine and retreat centre are on Holt Road, downhill from the village’s central junction, called the Common Place. The main pilgrimage season runs from Easter to the end of October. Daily events include the sprinkling service at the holy well (at 2:30 pm), and several other services including prayers in the Holy House. You can of course visit outside the main season: the church is open every day throughout the year and Mass is celebrated daily. The accommodation complex is open from 1 February to early December, with conference and retreat facilities. Members of the shrine clergy and sisters from the Society of St Margaret can help lead retreats. For general enquiries about the shrine, contact 01328 820255. For accommodation call 01328 820239. There is one website portal for both the Catholic and Anglican shrines: www.walsingham.org.uk

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Walsingham: the Catholic shrine (Slipper Chapel)

In many ways, this site ought to be listed first, since Roman Catholics restarted devotions here as early as 1897. It is an integral part of the Walsingham pilgrimage, as it was in medieval times.

The building is open to all, a peaceful place with relatively restrained decoration compared to the Anglican shrine. The chapel is about a mile outside Little Walsingham, at Houghton St Giles. Pilgrims traditionally remove their shoes here (hence perhaps the name) and walk the last stage of their pilgrimage to the Holy House barefoot.

There is a footpath along a former railway route from the Slipper Chapel into Little Walsingham. This route was not signposted on our visit, and we saw many people simply walking along the road barefoot, despite the fact that there is no pavement and the narrow lane is busy with cars. The footpath is actually easy to find once you know where to look – directions are given at the end.

The 14th-century Slipper Chapel was used as a barn until 1895 when it was rediscovered and then purchased by a local Catholic lady. It was reconsecrated as a shrine in 1897 and houses another recreation of the famous statue of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Like the Anglicans’ statue, this effigy is also used in processions, particularly on 8 September for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. Since 2001, the shrine has also been the centre of a new festival in the Catholic calendar, the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham on 24 September.

Among the buildings of the Catholic shrine complex is a Chapel of Reconciliation, which can seat up to 350 worshippers, suitable for large pilgrim groups. In 1934, the Slipper Chapel was elevated to the status of the Roman Catholic National Shrine of Our Lady, in a service attended by 10,000 worshippers.

Directions

Roman Catholic National Shrine, Houghton St Giles, Walsingham NR22 6AL

‍www.walsingham.org.uk

W3W: post.stub.lamplight

GPS: 52.8811N 0.8533E

The Catholic National Shrine and the Slipper Chapel are in Houghton St Giles, which is a mile from Little Walsingham itself. Head south down the High Street, away from the Anglican shrine, and out of Little Walsingham village. Where the road forks after 1/3 of a mile, go right and follow this lane to the car park by the complex. The Holy Mile footpath to Little Walsingham starts from the lane beside the Slipper Chapel. Walk back towards Walsingham along the lane and about 20m past the Slipper Chapel the path starts on the left, opposite the junction with Grays Lane. After less than 100m follow the old railway line on the right into Little Walsingham.

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Walsingham: Priory ruins

Despite massive church investment in Walsingham over the years, it comes as a surprise to find that the priory ruins are in private hands. The owners have resisted offers to sell but allow the grounds to be used for occasional open-air pilgrimage services. At other times, they are open to the general public for a small entry fee.

The ruined east wall of the former priory church dominates the grassy lawns, a vast window arch that demonstrates the shrine’s status in medieval England. The original site of the Holy House was uncovered by archaeologists in 1961. It is marked with a noticeboard on the left of the big lawn, near the entrance. There are no visible remains of either the Holy House or the side chapel that once housed it.

Finally, if you go through the arch, you come to a large immersion pool and two ancient wells. Devotions here were once an integral part of a pilgrimage to Little Walsingham, and the pool was known for healing headaches and digestive problems. All three chambers are now covered with heavy wire mesh, making it impossible to use them as they were originally intended. As mentioned, the holy well in the Anglican shrine church is thought to be drawn from the same watercourse, which at least allows continuity of the ancient tradition.

Directions

Shirehall Museum, Common Place, Walsingham NR22 6BP

www.walsinghamabbey.com

W3W: rent.abandons.hoping

GPS: 52.8942N 0.8742E

Entrance to the priory ruins is through the Shirehall Museum or the adjacent Estate Office, both in the centre of the village. They are usually open daily but at seasonal times; see the website or tel: 01328 820510.

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Walsingham: the Orthodox churches

You know you are in a holy place where the Orthodox gather. There are no fewer than three Orthodox places of worship in the vicinity of Little Walsingham.

One of these is the little chapel inside the main Anglican shrine church. It has been set aside for Orthodox use since 1945. Any of the main Orthodox churches can hold services here. There are often services on Sundays and other important holy days (location details are the same as for the Anglican shrine).

Another Orthodox church in the Russian tradition, dedicated to St Seraphim, is a short walk up Station Road in a converted railway station building, open all day to visitors. It is used for prayer and occasional services only.

The Orthodox community has had a tradition of icon painting here for many decades, part of its ongoing witness to pilgrims, and a small shop also sells icons at times. It is also developing a quiet garden beside the chapel for pilgrims and restoring the platform for those interested in railway heritage. For details, see the website.

The parish church for the Walsingham Orthodox is a mile north of the village, in Great Walsingham. This is the Church of the Holy Transfiguration, which is housed in a converted Methodist chapel. It was consecrated in 1988 by Metropolitan Anthony, the much-respected head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the UK, who died in 2003. The church is now part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Directions

St Seraphim Orthodox Church,

Station Road, Little Walsingham NR22 6DG

www.iconpainter.org.uk

W3W: timed.student.treating

GPS: 52.8939N 0.8707E

Church of the Holy Transfiguration, Scarborough Road, Great Walsingham NR22 6DP

holytransfigurationwalsingham.simdif.com

W3W: chat.nightfall.soda

GPS: 52.9003N 0.8888E

The Orthodox Church of St Seraphim is at the top of Station Road, next to the Holy Mile footpath. The Church of the Holy Transfiguration is on Scarborough Road in Great Walsingham, less than a mile away from Little Walsingham. It is locked outside service times, but the priest lives nearby.

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Walsingham: historical legacy

The story of these wells and the Holy House in general is recorded in a poem called the Pynson Ballad. This ancient tale was rediscovered in 1875 and reprinted, helping to inspire the revival at Little Walsingham. Were it not for the chance discovery of this medieval poem, we wouldn't even know why pilgrims first came here.

Another short Walsingham ballad, known as the Arundel verses, was set to music by English Renaissance musician William Byrd. Walsingham has cemented its place at the heart of modern pilgrimage in Britain. The world's holiest places are often flashpoints for religious differences.

In its own small way, Little Walsingham attracts trouble too. Surreal as it may sound, the Anglican National Pilgrimage has in the past been heckled by a group of Protestants who gather each year to picket such 'Catholic' activity by the established church. Some are said to travel from Northern Ireland for the protest, clearly convinced this is a productive way for Christians to spend their time, money, and energy.

But such views are all part of Christian life. To end on an upbeat note, the Christian communities in Walsingham promote a common vision of the significance of the Virgin Mary's Holy House. It is presented as a celebration of the Virgin Mary's wholehearted 'yes' to the news that she was to bear the Savior. To embrace God's purpose so enthusiastically summarizes the spirit of Walsingham and the faithful who gather here.

There is a Methodist chapel too in the town, confirming the multi-denominational significance of Little Walsingham. It is down an alley off Friday Market, at the southern end of the village, postcode NR22 6BY.