Thomas Becket, also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, served as Lord Chancellor in the court of King Henry II from 1155 to 1162 and according to historians was one of the kings closest fiends and allies. Becket was appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. The King may have hoped that Becket would continue to put royal government first, rather than the church, but the famed transformation of Becket into an ascetic occurred shortly after his appointment and led to many years of conflict between the two.
In 1170, Henry became particularly incensed with one of Becket's sermon and is said to have uttered the fateful words “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest!”
Four of Henry’s knights, probably not the brightest of men, took this as a summons to action, and left for Canterbury immediately. On 29 December 1170, they arrived at Canterbury and after apparently only brief discussions set upon Becket and murdered him.
Following Becket's canonization in 1173, his shrine at Canterbury became the most important in the country. This led to enormous numbers making the pilgrimage from Winchester to Canterbury each year.
BRIEF HISTORY
The trackway between Winchester and Canterbury is thought to have existed for thousands of years for trade and travellers and is believed to have followed the ridge of the chalk downs.
Certainly, in Roman times when Winchester formed the capital of the southern section of Roman Britain there is a clear record of a trackway to London as well as via Canterbury to the south coast.
The Pilgrims Way, as it is now known, became an increasingly popular route for pilgrims initially as a stop at Canterbury for pilgrimages to Rome in order to venerate the remains of St Augustine of Canterbury and later, following his death in 1170, to visit the shrine of St Thomas Becket.
Early History
Thomas Becket
Anyone walking the 'Pilgrims Way' from Winchester, in those early years, would have started along the Roman Road east following the route through New Alresford, Four Marks, Alton and Bentley to Farnham. This roughly follows the modern A31. Indeed, much of what would have been the traditional route of the Pilgrims' Way is now part of the modern road network.
Most ramblers and pilgrims now use the St. Swithun’s Way between Winchester and Farnham and the North Downs Way between Farnham and Canterbury as an pleasant alternative, with added detours to visit churches and other important religious sites or ruins.
The St Swithun’s Way and North Down Way is the route that we will be undertaking in June of this year.
Route