TQ6259 : Pilgrims' Way, near Wrotham
taken 2 years ago, near to Wrotham, Kent, England
A long distance path in southern England. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Kent Downs AONB. East of Boughton Lees, the path splits in two, the northern section running via Canterbury and the southern via Wye. The two sections of the path reunite at Dover. The northern route is 211 km long, and the southern route 201 km, the total length of the North Downs Way being 246 km.
The pathway is mixed in that it varies throughout its length from footpath status to bridleway, byway and road. Some 19% of the Way follows roads, though 75% of those are minor lanes. It is marked by an acorn. See TQ6561 : Crossover in Long Distance pathways.
See Link for more details and an interactive map of the trail.
A 120 mile route from Winchester to Canterbury, followed by mediaeval pilgrims, heading for Thomas Becket's tomb. The route follows a pre-historic trackway dated to 500BC. The Pilgrims' Way is not a designated long distance footpath, but it can be followed as most of it is roads today. It follows the lower slopes of the North Downs escarpment, carefully avoiding the steep slopes above and the sticky clay below. More information is available at Link