The Old Way

The Old Way is a 240 mile, 19 day path from Southampton to Canterbury.

This path offers the perfect introduction to Wayfaring, with beautiful and diverse natural environments, decent paths, and deep stories to connect Wayfarers with the lineage of the past.

I (re)discovered the Old Way in 2016, after 10 years of seeking a better way to walk to Canterbury. The route is marked on the 1360 ‘Gough Map’, known as Britain’s “oldest road map”. It shows routes taken by Wayfarers during the heyday of British pilgrimage.

In the Medieval pilgrimage tradition, Canterbury was Britain’s greatest centre. Being close to Europe meant it enjoyed huge traffic from the continent. Is this therefore a pilgrimage route? Well, in Medieval England there was no such thing - there were only routes, travelled by Wayfarers of all kinds, including pilgrims. If you make this journey as a pilgrim, it is a pilgrimage route. But you can also walk it as a Wayfarer without the aim of spiritual wholeness. What the journey is, is up to you.

Come walk this ancient Canterbury Camino. The way is open to all, and the path is good.

The first two sections of the 2021 Old Way guide are now available!

Discover the secrets of the path, where to sleep as a Wayfarer/pilgrim (Hospitality, Sanctuary and Coldharbour), what to eat, and all the maps and GPX files you need to find your way safely.

You can access the Old Way guide through this website, by signing up and purchasing perpetual access. Each section is three days of walking, and each section includes 9000 words of guidebook description, full GPX routes and detailed online mapping. It is everything you need to make your own journey on the Old Way.

Sections 1 & 2 take you from Southampton to Havant (3 days walk) and Havant to Houghton/Arundel (3 days walk). The two sections are available for a single payment of £6. This includes all future updates ongoingly. I shall walk Old Way at least once a year in full, end to end, to ensure the best information is available for this guidebook.

Sections 3 & 4 (Houghton to Firle + Firle to Battle) will become available very soon!

If you prefer to walk Old Way with a guide to help introduce you to the tradition of Wayfaring, I have a few guided events that are available.

See you on the path!