The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome are delighted to announce the formal recognition of the Francigena Britannica from London to Canterbury, and their annual conference in London on 14th March 2026! In this article, first published as the introduction to the  Pilgrims to Rome annual magazine, Nick Dunne, Chair of Trustees, shares the news.

It’s been a busy year since our last edition. We have been working since 2019 to develop the Francigena Britannica as a northern extension of the Via Francigena connecting London with the start of the historic VF at Canterbury, and you can find details of the route on our website. On 18 October 2024 Carlo Laurenzi, Honorary President of Pilgrims to Rome and I joined Councillor Connie Nolan and Bill Hicks of Canterbury Council at Monte Sant' Angelo in southern Italy to make a final presentation of the case for the Francigena Britannica to be formally recognised by the General Assembly of the European Association of the Vie Francigene (EAVF). 

The vote to approve the Francigena Britannica as the Via Francigena link between London and Canterbury was unanimous and we now have permission for it to be marked with Via Francigena signage. There is still a great deal to do to fully realise this project's ambitions, but winning formal approval from the EAVF was a landmark moment in the story: we can now say with confidence and authority that the Francigena Britannica is part of the Via Francigena! 

This is a major achievement for the small team of volunteers at the core of Pilgrims to Rome. Our annual budget of around £20,000 a year is funded from donations, membership fees and sales from our online shop. This enables us to develop and run our website, publish our e-newsletters and magazine, host our annual conference and online events and develop the Francigena Britannica. Our active membership at December 2024 was 328 (318 at December 2023), most of whom are from English-speaking countries: 43% of our members are UK based, 30% from the USA and Canada, 17% from Australia and New Zealand and 10% from other countries. 

As well as providing practical support and information about the Via Francigena, we aim to create a community where pilgrims can share experiences and inspire others to walk, cycle or even ride on horseback this wonderful route across Europe. The stories in this magazine are evidence of this. Huge thanks to all of you - our members, donors and customers – and special thanks to the team of volunteers and trustees who enable Pilgrims to Rome to flourish.

Our next annual conference in London will be on Saturday 14 March 2026 in the Amigo Hall of St George’s Cathedral, near Waterloo Station. We look forward to seeing many of you there!

Nick Dunne is chair of trustees at Pilgrims to Rome. He walked the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome in stages over several years and his memoirs Walking on Holy Ground and From the Crowned Mountain are available from on-line retailers and the Pilgrims to Rome shop Shop – Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome

For more details of the Via Francigena Britannica and the annual conference visit the Confraternity's website.