Way of St Martin

Way of Saint Martin – 21 miles, 2 days

This is a new pilgrimage route from Dover to Canterbury in Kent, United Kingdom. The route is split into 6 sections linked with public transport. Follow in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims who travelled from the Continent to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket on a time travelling pilgrimage linking Saint Martin le Grand in Dover with Saint Martin’s Church in Canterbury.

The pilgrim starts on the beach at Dover, then heads north to Saint Martin le Grande and the Dover Museum followed by Saint Mary’s Church, Saint Edmund’s Chapel and Maison Dieu.

The route then picks up the River Dour (one of only 200 chalk streams in the world), then heading north to Kearsney Abbey Gardens via Saint Andrew’s Church in Buckland and Crabble Mill.

This section heads up onto the North Downs through Temple Ewell and Lydden Temple Ewell Nature Reserve and onto Coldred and Shepherdswell. From Shepherdswell the route heads across farmland to the church of Saint Nicholas at Barfreston and a chance to explore a fascinating building before heading to Womenswold. Then a leisurely walk taking the pilgrim across Barham Downs and into Kingston.

This walk follows the intermittent river Nailbourne to Bishopsbourne before heading back up onto the Downs and Patrixbourne, before heading into Canterbury along the Pilgrims Way to Saint Martin’s church, then the relics of Becket in St Thomas’s Church, finishing at Canterbury Cathedral.

Official Guidebook available on Amazon