Mini-pilgrimage from Aylesford Priory to Thurnham Saturday 23rd March 2024
Join Andrew Kelly – founder of the Augustine Camino pilgrimage route – on a gentle introduction to pilgrimage. Walk in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims, see the relic of Aylesford’s very own medieval saint, see stunning modern, medieval and Victorian artwork, hear stories of the Crusades, the Reformation and the Vikings, stroll through vineyards, see Kent’s most Instagrammable view and visit two proper pilgrim pubs (both dog and child friendly).
Week-long guided tour along the whole route – Monday 29th April – Sunday 5th May 2024
Advance booking is now open for the first guided pilgrimage of 2024 which will commence on Monday 29th April. A £100 deposit secures your place. Email Andrew@augustinecamino.co.uk for more details.
Join Andrew Kelly, founder of the Augustine Camino, for an unforgettable week-long pilgrimage from Rochester Cathedral to the Shrine of St Augustine in Ramsgate via Aylesford, Faversham and Canterbury. The leisurely pace of ten miles per day will allow plenty of time for sightseeing and conversation. Andrew knows all about the religious, historical and artistic significance of the places encountered en-route, is an accomplished storyteller and genial walking companion. Pilgrims will hear about St Augustine and his mission to convert the English, stay in a medieval monastery, explore the two oldest cathedrals in England and see work by the greatest Victorian architects including Augustus Pugin and George Gilbert Scott.
The cost is £50 per person per day and this includes accommodation booking, itinerary planning and Andrew’s services as guide. You should budget about £45 per person per night for shared accommodation or £80 approx for single occupancy depending on availability. The usual accommodation can be seen here Accommodation – Augustine Camino. Most breakfasts are included but other meals are extra – there is plenty of choice of either cafes, pubs, restaurants or shops for picnic ingredients. Baggage transfers will be available – cost depending on how many participate.
Read testimonial from those who have walked recent guided pilgrimages here
Guided tours – £50 per person per day (minimum two people). The £50 fee includes accommodation booking and itinerary planning plus Andrew Kelly, founder of the Augustine Camino, as your guide.
Andrew is a born tour guide with an unrivalled knowledge of the Augustine Camino and the cultural significance of the places visited. He will customise your experience to suit your particular motivation whether that be religious, cultural, historical, artistic or simply a desire to walk through the Garden of England.
For further information and booking, email us on Camino@augustinecamino.co.uk
Previous Events
Week-long guided tour along the whole route – Monday 2nd – Sunday 8th October 2023
Week-long guided tour along the whole route – Monday 15th – Sunday 21st May 2023
See what participants thought of this guided pilgrimage here Testimonials – Augustine Camino
Guided 6 mile walk from Thurnham to Bredgar – part of the Heart of Kent Walking Festival 2023 – Saturday 25th March 2023 9am – 2pm– Tickets £15 available on EventBrite
This section of the route heads over the North Downs via two local nature reserves to the beautiful village of Bredgar with its pond and farm shop. We start at the Black Horse at Thurnham – right on the Pilgrim’s Way, a real traditional Kentish pub. The path heads up the Downs to Cold Blow where we pass through paddocks to the Woodland Trust, Hucking Estate. After viewing the wild boar sculptures, we stroll along the dry valley to the village. St Margaret’s church is quiet and attractive, much in demand for weddings. From here we head down to Admiral and Gorham woods which are managed by local volunteers as a nature reserve. The last section of the walk takes us across arable fields to Bredgar and a welcome lunch. Return to cars left at Thurnham is by taxi. Alternatively, Sittingbourne railway station is nearby for onward travel. Meet at the Black Horse Thurnham at 9am.
Guided tour through Canterbury as part of the Pilgrim Festival – Saturday 24th September 2022
Meeting in the Buttermarket outside the Cathedral Gate at 10am this will be a two hour walk visiting churches associated with Thomas Becket. Price £10 per person (accompanied children free). We will start at St Thomas’s church in Burgate where the modern Shrine to St Thomas can be found. Then we will walk up through Westgate to St Dunstan’s from which Henry II was whipped in penance for the murder of Thomas. This is also where the head of Thomas More is interred – the similarity of the stories of the two Thomas’s was much remarked upon during the Reformation. Finally we will stroll up to the old leper hospital of St Nicholas at Harbledown. The inmates had the buckle of one of Thomas’s shoes with which they used to beg for alms from passing pilgrims. The church floor is sloped to allow for washing down after the lepers had attended mass.
Guided day walk from Aylesford Priory to Thurnham as part of the Heart of Kent Walking Festival – Saturday 1st October
We will be meeting at 9am at Aylesford Priory and start with a tour, followed by a photo opportunity on the medieval bridge in the village. Then we will head to Tyland Barn, the HQ of Kent Wildlife Trust before passing by the ruins of the famous Boxley Abbey. The route then takes us through vineyards to the Kings Arms at Boxley for lunch. Just opposite is the charming church of St Mary and All Saints. After a visit to the church we will walk through the fields to Thurnham via Detling. We end at the Black Horse – a perfect pilgrim pub.
To book and for more information click here
An exhibition of art inspired by the Augustine Camino at Chartham Vineyard, each Saturday from September 25th to October 30th 2021 between 10.30am – 5.00 pm, part of Canterbury Festival ART at Chartham Vineyard’s Art Gallery and Exhibition Space – open Saturdays 10.30 – 5.00.
By the Creative Pilgrimage – seven local artists working in a variety of media.
The pilgrims are: Liz Garnett, Alexandra Le Rossignol, Sonia McNally, Fiona Taylor, Bay Lees, Marion Lynn and Caroline Hymers. They have walked the whole route from Rochester to Ramsgate over the last two years experiencing the seasonal changes in the landscape and nature. Visiting Christian places of worship along the route has inspired their art.