Walker: Rebecca
When: August 4th to 8th 2020
Pack weight: 1. stone (fine) 6kgs
Distance walked: 50 miles (+++ for getting lost)
No of days: 5
No of Showers: 0
No of Maps: 2 x 1: 50,000
No of Blisters: 5
Weight lost/gained: 0
Money spent: £80
Carried not needed flip flops, nuts and raisins
Wished I had Better shoes, better pack
Would I do it again: Yes
Churches Visited: Cradley, Homer Hill, Lye High Street, Woolescote, Pedmore, Clent, Broome, Churchill, Blakedown, Dodford, Bromsgrove, Tardebigge, Lower Bentley, Cruise Hill, Feckenham, Dormston, Inkberrow, Rous Lench, Abberton, Bishampton, Fladbury, Crophthorn, Elmley Castle, Overbury, Out of Diocese: Tewkesbury Abbey
When I returned from a five days pilgrimage across the Worcester Diocese, from north to south, Cradley Heath to Tewkesbury I reflected on the reason pilgramage fell into disfavour in the 16th C. Martin Luther believed (in 1520), it was an indulgence and there are better ways to find and serve God. Yes, he was right, it was an indulgence, I have to say, but it doesn't have to be, it can be more.
Planning my walk around churches this year was difficult due to the Corona closure but I thought it important to do it, even more so than normal years. Indeed, after sketching out the Worcester Diocese on OS maps, I found vicars I phoned on my route (located from 'A Church Near You' website) all positive and supportive. Three churches, Blakedown, Tardebigge and Inkberrow were able to accommodate me and on the fourth night I slept out under the stars in a church yard, watching swifts dart and weave overhead and waking to a summer peace.
The first stopover was Blakedown, a small medieval church, but inside with some remarkable 1930s wood carvings. I unrolled the bed mat on a side aisle and slept well in a friendly, secure place and in the morning had an excellent breakfast at the village shop. Canon Sue Oliver and Church Warden Andrew welcomed me and I had supper with Sue and her husband. She showed me the book The Way Under our Feet by Bishop Graham Usher and told me that her parishes were developing local pilgrimage routes themselves from 2 to 15 miles. This seemed a great idea, one I had not thought of, again churches would be at the centre of these day walks, as meditation places, toilet and water breaks.
The second night I stayed at Tardebigge. I was so pleased to walk to this church as for years, when I lived in Birmingham, it was a landmark for me with its tall steeple, set high on a hill, overlooking Tardebigge canal locks but I had never found my way to it. I was welcomed here by Steve and Angie Rigby, and unrolled the bed mat in the church hall facing the church. Next morning church warden Jane Hall showed me round the period 18th century church built on an ancient site by the local large landowner, for prestige and beauty and showing God's presence for the villages around for centuries to come. Jane was very supportive of the idea of the hall being used for pilgrimage, as a different but still worshipful way of using it and suggested I visited St Mary's in Lower Bentley, also in her wardenship. I did the next day. St Mary's is small, secluded and set in beautiful countryside and an ideal place for pilgrims if a compost toilet with drinking water (in bottles as it is not on the mains) were provided.
The third night I stayed in Inkberrow, a wonderful medieval church on a hill with magical views. I put the bed roll in a taped off side aisle (for coronal isolation purposes) and at night heard the bell mechanism whirrs (and bells) and many creaks and woke with the dawn through the east windows, as for sure had many night vigilers before me. I had supper with Rev Bruce Rienstra and his wife and church wardens Guy and Pippa Ledger in The Old Bull next door (famous as the Archers 'Bull'), buzzing with people chatting and laughing. Bruce also cares for Dormston Church which I had visited the day before and is on the Via Beata way, and also, if it had an outside toilet would be the perfect pilgrimage rest point.
In retrospect, the walk had had few low points, of course not, pilgrimage is about accepting everything without judgement. The highlights I will remember were the awesome Clent Hills, Bredon Hill in the misty early morning and meeting Richard, the only other person on a steaming Ashchurch station. He told me he was on his way back to Cardiff after two years in Tewkesbury sleeping out in shop doors and parks. He too had the confidence of creating home wherever he was but also that indefinable knowledge I have occasionally perceived in someone else but haven’t arrived at yet myself.