Historic pilgrimage creates new route between London and Canterbury

The Archbishop's Camino

In March 2026, Archbishop Sarah Mullally spent 6 days walking a new pilgrimage route from London to Canterbury in the lead-up to her installation at Canterbury Cathedral.

This marked several historic firsts. She became the first female leader of the Church of England, and by walking the route also became the first Archbishop to ever walk a dedicated pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral.

During the pilgrimage the Archbishop walked approximately 87 miles (140km), meeting community groups, primary school students, and people from all walks of life and faith on the pavements and footpaths of villages, towns and cities between London and Canterbury.

Now everyone can follow in her footsteps, by following a new pilgrimage route which takes in some key Christian sites in England along the way - including cathedrals, abbeys and shrines - illuminated by sunrises, sunsets and the surrounding nature of the South East countryside.

The route begins from St Paul’s Cathedral in London and initially follows a variation of the Via Britannica, also visiting Southwark Cathedral, where Chaucer’s fictional pilgrims would have started their own journey to Canterbury from the Tabard Inn.

Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (1387-1400) - the foremost masterpiece of English literature which brings to life the diversity of Medieval pilgrimage - is now often carried by modern pilgrims on their own travels.

The final church stop in the capital is Greenwich’s Saint Alphege where the former Archbishop of Canterbury who now gives his name to the church was martyred in 1012, and the place where Henry VIII was baptised.

As the busy London scenery morphs into the greenery of Kent, pilgrims can walk around the ruins of Lesnes Abbey. Constructed in the 12th century, it became a casualty of political conflicts in the ensuing centuries and was lost to marshland, before eventually being excavated in 1909.

Just outside London, pilgrims will travel through Erith to visit the Saint John the Baptist Church and then on to Darenth, the first village stop on the route. Through Southfleet there is the Saint Nicholas Church from the 14th century, and then the much more recent Saint Barnabas Church in Istead Rise, which was first built in the 1950s.

The route then deviates from the Augustine Way and goes to Chartham and the Church of St Mary, which was constructed in the late 13th century, potentially under the guidance of the master mason Michael of Canterbury (1275-1321).

From here, pilgrims can walk the serene path along the River Stour, before entering Canterbury through the Westgate Gardens.

Before arriving at the Cathedral, pilgrims can visit Saint Peter’s Church, which contains a brass plate featuring many French surnames, referencing how the Church of England saved many Huguenot refugees fleeing persecution. The Huguenot Chapel (French Protestant Church of Canterbury) is in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, and where services are still conducted every Sunday in French.

The route finishes where Archbishop Sarah Mullally began her historic leadership of the church - at Canterbury Cathedral.

Pilgrims can reflect on their journey in one of the most important and spiritual buildings in the world, full of stunning architecture and stained glass, peaceful cloisters and contemplative crypts, and where a solitary candle lies in commemoration of another archbishop - Thomas Becket (118-1170).

Torin Brown, Pilgrim Officer at Canterbury Cathedral, said: “This was a truly historic occasion, as no other Archbishop has been recorded walking pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. We are delighted to be able to share this route with a local and national community of Pilgrims, who we can’t wait to welcome to Canterbury Cathedral.”

This summer, the Church of England offers a new reflection campaign centred around pilgrimage - 'Pilgrim Places, Holy Lives' - centering around the places and stories that help us feel part of something bigger on our journey towards God.

Archbishop Sarah said: “Each of us has our own story, but we are also part of bigger stories. The greatest story ever told is that of God becoming human in Jesus to offer us a transforming relationship with him. Through these reflections, we will see how this amazing story took root in Anglo-Saxon England, and how those who responded to it became signposts to God. They not only changed the world around them but can still challenge, inspire, and encourage us today.”