The Pilgrims' Way: Boughton Lees to Chilham

It’s the night before the final day. Tomorrow, I will have finished walking the Pilgrims’ Way entirely, from Winchester all the way to Canterbury. Today, in a way, felt like the last day of routine before the big finale. I travelled to different sites, interviewed experts, tried to interview animals, took video and photos for digital media, and got lost in the woods. Truly it was the condensed experience of the entire trip, minus the sore feet for once.

For the second time, I was the only one present for breakfast at the inn I was staying at. I ate as much as I could as quick as I could and escaped into the crisp morning air. I was in a good mood and planned to make good time. To begin with, I did. I followed the path to Boughton Aluph’s church, which was closed, which meant I could simply continue forward. A friendly farmer helped me find the inconspicuous stile (“everybody misses it”) to enter his fields, and I got to walk alongside sheep for a little while. The fields were massive again and filled with what appeared to be dead wheat.

The walk would be just under three hours from start to finish, and I was already coming to the halfway point of Godmersham. I would have an interview with James, a representative of the church who would help explain some of the interesting parts of the estate. I thought I would take the scenic route rather than the A road, so I went up the hill to at first follow the North Downs Way. Eventually, I turned off into a side path, and after another few minutes, I realised that every track indicated on the ordinance survey map was blocked by locked gates and barb wire fences. Someone had decided absolutely nobody from the forest should be allowed onto their property, which was unfortunate for me as I now had to walk all the way back down the hill to follow the A road anyway. An absolute shambles of a shortcut.

Fortunately, James was very patient and allowed me the extra half hour to arrive. He was an absolute sweetheart the entire time we were together. He took me (and a lucky German pilgrim who happened to arrive just after me) around the church to begin. Godmersham Park is heavily tied to the Knight family, and Jane Austen as a result. Her brother, Edward Knight, has a memorial plaque inside, and his and his wife’s names on the stained-glass windows. James pointed out where Jane would have sat at the church when she attended. He also gave me a passage from one of her own prayers to read out which was fun. Did you also know that part of the church’s stone decorations are in the New York Museum of Art? And that part of Canterbury’s walls are sat outside waiting to be sold to Americans for thousands of dollars? 

Unfortunately, there is too much to be said about the church to write here, so I will instead move on to the house. Godmersham House is now a college for optometrists. The front porch was moved quite far out of the way to make room for a cricket pitch, and the relocated porch became a favourite writing alcove for Jane Austen when she visited. It is also the place where James used to teach. He actually got married in the church and walked down the long lawn towards the house with his new wife while a piper played. He was full of knowledge of the park but had the same modesty-through-self-deprecation that I have most of the time. I had to keep telling him that the information he was giving was exactly what I asked for, so he needn’t apologise for talking at length. The most important part of the visit was trying to replicate the £10 note with the house in the background. James then donated the money to The Children’s Society because he is such a lovely man.

I took so long at Godmersham that I hadn’t realised the time, so received a call from Reverend Sue at Chilham who had been waiting in the church for me. I was to meet at her house instead, so I needed to be on my way as soon as possible. Fortunately, the walk would only take a little more than an hour down clear lanes, so I was speeding towards the village.

There were plenty of charming red brick walls to see along the way, walls that indicate a stately manor owns a tremendous amount of land on the other side. If I were to ever have a country estate, I would want a garden surrounded by that sort of high red brick wall. Alternatively, I would have one of the Tudor cottages that began to appear along the road too. It turned out both of these were a prelude for the twee village of Chilham. I was in awe of the sheer Englishness of the centre of town: a towering church on one side, a converted castle/manor on the other side, a square flanked by Tudor and Victorian houses, a tearoom, and a pub. The post office was just around the corner, but it completed the essential characteristics of a village.

Reverend Sue was very understanding of my delay, and her and her family made every effort to make me feel at home. Their dog, on the other hand, was dedicated to protecting them from me at all times. It was a rescue dog and had trouble trusting strangers. Luckily, I could escape for a few hours to watch a solo violinist at yet another church, courtesy of an invitation from the Reverend. 

The music was magical. The quality of the playing meant there was no risk of mistake, so you could let the music wash over you so you could experience it with both heart and soul. I enjoyed watching the faces the musician made when they were playing, frowning or smiling depending on the emotion roused.

The drive back reminded me of all the times I had been picked up from a friend’s house late in the evening. Pitch black country roads would take me home as I worried about each blind turn. Once back at the house, and after the dog tried to fight me a little more, I managed to squash a massive crane fly that was so large, it made noises as it bumped into things.

So ended the day. Now, at 1:20 in the morning, I would also like to end my day. Tomorrow will be the last hurrah of a long project. I’m excited to see the finish line.