Chapter I: Preface

This account of the Way trodden by the pilgrims of the Middle Ages through the South of England to the shrine of St. Thomas of Canterbury originally appeared in the _Art Journal_ for 1892, with illustrations by Mr. A. Quinton. It was published in the following year as a separate volume, and reprinted in 1895 and 1901. Now by the courtesy of Messrs. Virtue's representatives, and in response to a continued demand, it appears again in a new and revised form, with the additional attraction of illustrations from original drawings by Mr. Hallam Murray.

During the twenty years which have elapsed since these pages were first written, a whole literature has grown up round the Pilgrims' Way. Not only have scholarly papers on separate sections of the road appeared in the Journals of Archæological Societies, but several valuable works on the subject have been issued by writers of authority. Mr. H. Snowden-Ward has written a book on "The Canterbury Pilgrimages," in Messrs. A. & C. Black's Pilgrimage Series, in which he deals at length with the life and death, the cult and miracles of St. Thomas, and the different routes taken by pilgrims to his shrine. Mr. Palmer has described a considerable portion of the Way in his treatise on "Three Surrey Churches," and only last autumn Mr. Elliston-Erwood published an excellent little guide-book called "The Pilgrims' Road," for the use of cyclists and pedestrians, in Messrs. Warne's Homeland Pocket-book Series. But the most thorough and systematic attempt to reconstruct the route taken by pilgrims from Winchester to Canterbury has been made by Mr. Belloc in his admirable work, "The Old Road." The author himself walked along the ancient track, and succeeded in filling up many gaps where the road had been lost, and in recovering almost the whole of the Way, "yard by yard from the capital of Hampshire to the capital of Kent." This intimate knowledge of the road and its characteristics have led him to make several alterations in the line of the Way marked on the Ordnance Map, which had hitherto served as the basis of most descriptions. But as Mr. Belloc himself recognises, it is clear that pilgrims often left the original road to visit churches and shrines in the neighbourhood. Thus, in several places, new tracks sprang up along the downs to which local tradition has given the name of the Pilgrims' Way, and which it is not always easy to distinguish from the main road. Like Bunyan's pilgrims, when they came to the foot of the hill Difficulty, "one turned to the left hand, and the other to the right, but the narrow way lay right up the hill."

In this edition of my book some obvious errors have been corrected, and certain doubtful points have been cleared up with the help of experience gained by other workers in the same field. But, as a rule, my object has been not so much to draw attention to the actual road as to describe the antiquities and objects of interest which arrest the traveller's notice on his journey. From whatever side we approach it, the subject is a fascinating one. All of these different studies, varied in aims and scope as they may be, bear witness to the perennial interest which the Pilgrims' Way inspires. The beauty of the country through which the old road runs, its historic associations and famous memories, the ancient churches and houses which lie on its course, will always attract those who love and reverence the past, and will lead many to follow in the footsteps of the mediæval pilgrims along the Way to Canterbury.

JULIA CARTWRIGHT.

OCKHAM, _Nov. 1, 1911_.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE PILGRIMS' WAY 1

II. WINCHESTER TO ALTON 20

III. ALTON TO COMPTON 44

IV. COMPTON TO SHALFORD 63

V. SHALFORD TO ALBURY 75

VI. SHERE TO REIGATE 87

VII. REIGATE TO CHEVENING 103

VIII. OTFORD TO WROTHAM 125

IX. WROTHAM TO HOLLINGBOURNE 137

X. HOLLINGBOURNE TO LENHAM 153

XI. CHARING TO GODMERSHAM 167

XII. CHILHAM TO HARBLEDOWN 182

XIII. HARBLEDOWN TO CANTERBURY 193

XIV. THE MARTYR'S SHRINE 203

INDEX 217

NOTE ON THE BINDING

The "Canterbury Bell" and the Badges, represented on the cover of the book, were worn by the Pilgrims on their return from the Shrine of St. Thomas. The Badges were made of lead.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

COLOURED PLATES

THE NORMAN TOWER AND SOUTH TRANSEPT, WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL FROM THE NORTH 32

CHAWTON HOUSE 50

THE MOTE, IGHTHAM 136

AYLESFORD BRIDGE 146

COTTAGE AT BOARLEY, NEAR BOXLEY 152

CHARING 170

CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL FROM THE SOUTH-WEST 192

HALF-TONES

FACING PAGE

WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL, SOUTH AISLE OF CHOIR 25

KING'S GATE, WINCHESTER, FROM THE CLOSE 28

LOSELEY 67

THE HOSPITAL, GUILDFORD 72

OLD YEWS AND OAK IN EASTWELL PARK 176

THE WEST GATE, CANTERBURY 194

MERCERY LANE, CANTERBURY 199

THE MARTYRDOM, CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL 205

LINE BLOCKS

ON "THE WAY" BETWEEN KEMSING AND OTFORD _Title-page_

THE APPROACH TO WINCHESTER FROM THE SOUTH v

THE RIVER ITCHEN WHERE IT LEAVES THE TOWN ix

NEAR WROTHAM WATER xi

ST. CROSS AND ST. KATHERINE'S HILL 1

DOORWAY IN CANTERBURY CLOISTERS THROUGH WHICH BECKET PASSED ON HIS WAY TO VESPERS 8

ST. CROSS FROM THE MEADOWS 13

THE ENTRANCE TO ST. CROSS HOSPITAL 15

BOX HILL 18

THE CATHEDRAL FROM THE SOUTH 20

ROOF OF STRANGERS' HALL, WINCHESTER 21

THE WEST GATE, WINCHESTER 23

ON THE RIVER ITCHEN, WINCHESTER 27

THATCHED COTTAGE, MARTYR WORTHY 34

CHILLAND FARM, NEAR ITCHEN ABBAS 36

NEW ALRESFORD 40

THE HOG'S BACK 44

JANE AUSTEN'S HOUSE, CHAWTON 47

FARNHAM CASTLE 53

CROOKSBURY FROM NEWLANDS CORNER 55

COMPTON VILLAGE 63

COMPTON CHURCH 65

ST. KATHERINE'S, GUILDFORD 70

ST. MARTHA'S CHAPEL 71

THE HOG'S BACK 73

ST. MARTHA'S FROM THE HOG'S BACK 75

ST. MARTHA'S FROM CHILWORTH 81

ALBURY OLD CHURCH 85

THE MILL, GOMSHALL 87

SHERE 89

CROSSWAYS FARM, NEAR WOTTON 91

WOTTON 93

BOX HILL AND DORKING CHURCH SPIRE 95

THE WHITE HORSE, DORKING 96

BETWEEN DORKING AND BETCHWORTH LOOKING WEST 97

ON "THE WAY" ABOVE BETCHWORTH 100

WINDMILL ON REIGATE COMMON 103

REIGATE COMMON 105

LOOKING EAST FROM GATTON PARK 108

GATTON TOWN HALL 110

MERSTHAM CHURCH 113

THE WHITE HART, GODSTONE 115

OLD HOUSE IN OXTED 116

OXTED CHURCH 117

BRASTED 120

CHEVENING CHURCH 123

OTFORD CHURCH 125

THE PORCH, KEMSING CHURCH 133

WROTHAM CHURCH 135

WROTHAM, LOOKING SOUTH 137

THE BULL, WROTHAM 139

TROTTESCLIFFE 140

FORD PLACE, NEAR WROTHAM 141

THE FRIARY, AYLESFORD 144

KITS COTY HOUSE 147

LOOKING WEST FROM ABOVE BOXLEY ABBEY 149

HOLLINGBOURNE HOUSE 155

MARKET-PLACE, LENHAM 163

IN CHARING VILLAGE 167

THE PALACE, WROTHAM 181

CHILHAM 182

ON THE VILLAGE GREEN, CHARTHAM 187

ST. NICHOLAS', HARBLEDOWN 193

SITE OF THE SHRINE OF ST. THOMAS, CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL 209