'Heart speaks unto heart': A pilgrimage with Dr Newman
A Pilgrim Way for the Archdiocese of Birmingham following St John Henry Newman’s spiritual path. The route was walked to mark Newman being proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 1st November 2025.
Bust of Newman at Trinity College, Oxford
About the route
The way starts at Deddington where Newman gave his first public address in 1825, via Over Worton, where he preached his first sermon as an Evangelical Anglican priest. The pilgrimage continues through Oxford where Newman was educated, was ordained as an Anglican minister and led the High Anglican Oxford Tractarian Movement. The route ends at Littlemore where Newman founded a High Anglican church. Here in 1845, he became a Catholic.
This pilgrimage is an adaption of the existing Newman Pilgrimage which was created by Rev Hugh White and is based on the journeys Newman made as a young man from Oxford to Deddington. Newman walked the eighteen miles to Over Worton from Oxford, starting at 4am and arriving ‘punctually at the breakfast table’! Details of that pilgrimage can be found at: http://www.newmanpilgrimage.org/. Neither route follows Newman's probable path which is now a busy road.
You can find out more about the Way and download the GPX file clicking on the LEARN MORE tab in the
interactive map below
Guidance
You can use the tabs in this section to find the information you need for your pilgrimage.
The Outer Way provides practical advice about the route.
The Inner Way describes the spiritual highlights.
Walking guidance: you can download the inner and outer way notes and the walking directions and maps.
Stages: route, food & drink, accommodation and public transport
Test
The Inner Way: “Heart Speaks Unto Heart”
Test
ABOUT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAM
The Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham extends from Stoke in the North to the Thames in the South. It includes seven cities and five counties; an area with over five million people. It serves a Catholic population of c. 450,000 through a network of 217 parishes and some 240 schools. There are some 150 active and 60 retired priests, and some 80 deacons. The Parishes are grouped into 11 Deaneries which themselves are grouped into three Areas - each being overseen by an Auxiliary Bishop responsible for the Area.
