Walking to Walsingham
Between March 2023 and May 2024, Karen Lawrence walked the 180 miles from London to the National Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham. It was a slow and mostly solitary journey: a pilgrimage and a journey of discovery. She has recently published a book, Walking to Walsingham, to share her story and to encourage other pilgrims.
Walsingham in north Norfolk is one of my favourite places. The historic Slipper Chapel at the Roman Catholic Shrine, the site of the Holy House in the Abbey Gardens, and the beautiful Anglican Shrine together attract over a quarter of a million pilgrims each year. Most of these pilgrims travel by car or by coach.
The idea of walking to Walsingham occurred to me more than once, but it didn’t seem to be a thing that people did. I even looked at a map and wondered vaguely how long the journey might take, and where one might sleep on the way, but that was about it. I didn’t have the time anyway. Taking two weeks off to walk to Walsingham seemed like an impossible dream.
Then I came across a new guidebook* with maps, a carefully researched route, and suggestions about places to stay and eat. There were even links to GPX files so you could follow the maps on your phone. Once I knew the route existed, I realised I had to do it.
I decided to walk the pilgrimage in weekends and days off, using public transport, taxis, and my own car to get to the start and end of each section. This approach had its challenges, but turned out to be eminently do-able. The result was a slow pilgrimage, walked in different seasons of the year, through varying emotions and life events. I looked forward to each walk as a welcome escape from my daily life, an opportunity to pray, reflect, and discover.
The pilgrim route from London to Walsingham follows rivers and ancient trails, traversing forests and exploring historic towns and villages. On the way I encountered medieval churches, ruined abbeys and the largest turf labyrinth in the world. I worshipped in a cathedral, wept over a memorial to dead daughters, and ate a lot of big breakfasts.
After each weekend of walking I wrote about my travels, using the guidebook as well as my own research and observations to inform my reflections. These records became the chapters of my book, illustrated with photographs from my pilgrimage.
‘Walking to Walsingham’ is my pilgrimage story. Join me as I slog through mud, marvel at Anglo-Saxon art, and get lost in a military training zone. Share my journey of discovery, encountering mad March hares, East Anglian saints, and bats in belfries. Learn about flintknappers, Roman burial mounds, and Walsingham’s two modern-day shrines.
Discover the blessings of a slow walk through nature, history and faith.
The book concludes with my top tips for planning your own pilgrimage walk.
*The guidebook I used is called London to Walsingham Camino - The Pilgrimage Guide, written by Andy Bull and published by Trailblazer Guides in 2022. More information here.
