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Deanery Pilgrimage HERE
Saturday, June 11, 2022 8:00 am - 7:30 pm
Reflecting on the Deanery and on the helpful Deanery Synod we had in February, I made the
decision that it would be good to have a deanery pilgrimage, walking between all the churches and
pausing to pray in each one. I hope that some of you will join me for at least part of the way. Some
of you may simply want to be present in your church when the group arrives, some of you may
decide to do a couple of legs at different times of the day, some of you may want to walk the whole
route. (We will provide public transport alternatives for at least some legs, so that you could visit all
or many of the churches without necessarily walking the entire route!)
The lovely thing about walking a pilgrim route is that you change conversation partners as you go
along and sometimes you quite simply walk in companionable silence. I hope that this will give us
the opportunity to get to know each other better and also to reflect on the way in which the
churches bless us and how we can be a blessing to the communities they serve.
Bring a picnic lunch and don’t forget to have plenty of water!
8am – 8.30am Continental breakfast available at St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Addington
8.30am Morning Prayer
9am set off up Spout Hill towards St John’s Shirley
The first part of the route is largely on pavements and the distance between churches relatively
short.
9.35 Arrive at St John’s Shirley – Prayers on the way
9.45 depart for St George’s Shirley
10.30 Arrive at St George’s Shirley – Prayers on the way
10.40 depart for All Saints Spring Park
11.20 Arrive at All Saints Spring Park – Prayers on the way and coffee
11.45 depart for St Mary of Nazareth West Wickham
12.30 Arrive at St Mary of Nazareth West Wickham – Prayers on the way
12.40 depart for St Francis West Wickham
1pm arrive at St Francis West Wickham
Eucharist followed by lunch break
2pm depart for St John’s West Wickham going down Corkscrew Hill and up Layhams Hill, the other
side of the valley
2.35 Arrive at St John’s West Wickham – Prayers on the way
2.45 depart for St Edward’s New Addington
This is a beautiful walk taking us across the fields (four stiles are involved) to the woodland and then
following the path in the woodland – when Edward and I did this it was bluebell time and very
beautiful. This gradually climbs bringing us out at the industrial units on Vulcan Way. A shortish walk
then takes us on through New Addington to arrive at St Edward’s.
4pm Arrive at St Edward’s New Addington – Prayers on the way
4.10pm depart for St John the Divine, Selsdon
After a short walk through the estate, a steep downhill wooded path takes us to Featherbed Lane.
Crossing the road carefully, we then follow footpaths around the golf course and through Selsdon
Wood to emerge on Old Farleigh Road and up to St John’s.
5.40pm Arrive at St John the Divine, Selsdon – Prayers on the way
5.50pm depart for St Francis, Monks Hill
We arrive via Queenhill Road at Littleheath Wood for a final delightful woodland section which
brings us to Edgecombe Road and up to St Francis.
6.25 pm Arrive at St Francis Monks Hill – Prayers on the way
6.35 pm depart for St Mary the Blessed Virgin .
We follow the public footpaths down past the schools to Gravel Hill and across Addington Park back
to St Mary’s, where we shall sing a hymn or two and then enjoy refreshments together in the
vicarage garden.
7.15 Arrive at St Mary the Blessed Virgin.
We hope that anyone who has been on any of the legs or who has been present at any of the
churches will join us at 7.15 for well-earned refreshments.
