The Pilgrims Trail

Friday, April 24th, 2009 | Things to do in Winchester, Uncategorized | No Comments

Follow a medieval route from the shrine of St Swithun at Winchester Cathedral, weaving across the landscape by way of Bishop’s Waltham and Southwick to Portsmouth in the footsteps of the Miquelots, pilgrims who made the long journey to worship St Michael in Normandy. Today travellers have the advantage of special waymark signs – green in Hampshire, blue in France leading to the medieval sanctuary of Mont St Michel in Normandy France, 155 miles away.

The cult of Saint Michael was widespread in the British Isles from the 9th century. By the time of the reformation in the 16th century, there were more than six hundred churches in England dedicated to Saint Michael. Saint Michael’s day, Michaelmas, is celebrated on 29 September.

The Norman sanctuary of Mont St Michel attracted pilgrims from Scandinavia, Italy and Germany, as well as from Britain. Most pilgrims stopped at the Mount on their way to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. They landed at Barfleur, near Cherbourg, walked to the Mount and continued to Santiago.

Winchester

Venta Belgarum was a Roman town and became the fifth largest city in Britain. Over the ensuing years, Winchester saw many changes before becoming what we see today. People from Alfred the Great to those attending Mary Tudor’s marriage to Philip of Spain in the Cathedral all played their part in Winchester’s history

Winchester to Twyford

Winchester Cathedral has been a place for pilgrims from Saxon times. The Pilgrims’ Trail starts at the west door, continues to the south of the Cathedral and passes through the passage into the cloister. Keeping the lawn (garth) on your left, you pass the deanery and continue to the right into The Close, passing the mediaeval priory’s storehouses. The building to the far left is the Pilgrims School, while directly in front is the Porters Lodge (Cheyney Court) where you leave The Close through the Priory Gate into St Swithun’s Street. Turn left, passing under Kings Gate’s 14th century arch. In College Street, follow the road to the left, passing the home in which Jane Austen died, then on to Winchester College. Once past the College, to your left are the ruins of Wolvesey Castle.

Turn right into College Walk, following the road left, and continue over the River Itchen. As the road bears left up Wharf Hill, turn right into Domum Road. There are several exits from Domum Road, but take the second right to the footpath, beside the Itchen Navigation, until it meets the road. At the road, cross over taking the path through the car park, follow the path to” Plague Pit”, turn left up the valley to the M3 crossing, take time to go to the top of St Catherine’s Hill with stunning views across the water meadows, Winchester and across towards the Hospital of St Cross stop for some light refreshments. This is Britain’s oldest charitable organisation and was founded by Henry de Blois, William the Conqueror’s grandson. Its church dates from Norman times, and the Brothers of St Cross still worship in it daily.

Continue over the foot bridge crossing the M3 leaving St Catherine’s Hill behind you. Once across, the series of parallel hollows to your left, are of mediaeval or earlier date, crossing the downs are known as the ‘Dongers’. Follow the well defined track over Twyford Down, with views over open grassland, to the fairway of Hockley Golf Club. All around is the rolling landscape of the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Continue in a southwest direction towards a tree belt, over the track and down to Hazeley Road, passing Hazeley Down’s gallops and a war memorial to the troops stationed on Hazeley Down during the First World War. At Hazeley Road, cross over and continue up Mare Lane to the crossroads.

Twyford to Owslebury

Cross over Hatchers Lane to Whites Hill and, after 20 metres, take the footpath on the left to Owslebury, a village, with mediaeval origins, which pilgrims passed through and is the highest village in Hampshire. The Ship Inn, with its large outdoor children’s play area, is a good place to stop for a drink or meal.

The medieval church of St Andrew has examples of early English architecture (chancel and lancets), although extensively renovated during the seventeenth century. The trail continues through the church yard to stone steps leading down to Pitcot Lane to a gate, then turn left into the fields towards the tree line and follow a farm track upwards through the tress. The trail crosses open fields before going downhill to cross Lower Baybridge Lane.

Walk across Lower Baybridge Lane to the lane opposite, following the gravel track to the edge of Austin’s Copse. Within the coppice, the Roman road survives as an earthwork. The trail meanders through the copse to open land and track. Turn left, then right, until you meet another track on your left, continuing along this for 900 metres. This will take you across high open farmland, before descending to a hedge.

Owslebury to Bishop’s Waltham

At the hedge, turn left, continuing to the stile before descending diagonally. Follow the trail through the trees and then up a steep slope into woodland. Once through the wood, the trail follows a grass track. Continue along the track to its fork. Take the left fork until you reach Upham. At the road, turn right and continue until you urn left into Church Street, passing the church with its 13th century arch and eighteenth century brick tower.

The nearby Brushmakers Arms provides a welcome stop. Retrace your steps along Church Street, turn left and follow the road for 100 metres to Oak Close. Turn left into the close, following the trail to a stile and keeping left of the hedge to another stile. Reaching a farm track, continue along for 500 metres to a further stile. Continue straight on, keeping the woods on your left, and follow the trail to the road and down to Winchester Road. Cross over to the footpath, following the line of the ancient Roman road, passing through a wet area caused by springs rising to feed ponds, the largest of which can be seen through the trees.

The trail continues along the line of the old earth road to Wintershill Farm, crossing several stiles until you meet Winters Hill road. Cross over to the driveway marked ‘Woodlea Nurseries’, crossing the stile which is just inside on the right. Passing Tangier Farm, the trail follows the field’s edge and under electricity lines towards Brooklands Farm. Just before it reaches the farm, the trail forks. Take the left fork to the dismantled railway line, turning left into the line until you reach the roundabout. Turn right and follow Station Road to the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace which is run by English Heritage and open to the public.

Ordnance Survey Explorer maps 132 and 119 (1:25000) are useful for this section of the trail.

Continuing the route in France to Mont St Michel
You can continue the route onwards to Mont St Michel, by taking the ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg and following the way-marked route southwards through the pretty Normandy countryside.

A 127 page colour guide (in French) is available that details two separate routes from Cherbourg (7 stages) and Barfleur (8 stages) to Mont St Michel. Each stage varies between 25-30km and consists of on and off-road sections. The guide gives details of where you can find tourist information, including accommodation and refreshments foreach stage.

A walker’s pack detailing all of the route, local features and history, tourist information and watering holes is available for £2.99, from Hampshire County Council Information Centres.

Letter from the Chaplain – May 2009

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

First let me say how extremely touched and grateful I am for all the support and the generosity which I have received from you all.  I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done and are doing, have given and are giving, both to me personally but also for and to the church and Hospital of St Cross.  The interregnum has, for me, been a time which has passed so quickly that I can scarcely believe that it has lasted eighteen months!  Yet it has been a period during which much has been achieved through the hard work of so many and the excellent leadership of the Churchwardens and PCC.

However, we now have a new Master of St Cross and parish priest – as well as Archdeacon of Winchester – and it is with great joy that we welcome Michael and Debbie.  I know that they will find a real desire from everyone to support and uphold them as they settle into the life of the ‘village’ and Hospital, and also discover the kind of hospitality that is second to one.

This month, as we know, sees the Feasts of the Ascension and of Pentecost and both remind us of God’s Promise – that He is Lord and that He will lead us, by His Holy Spirit, into all truth.  Those first disciples, full of fear and trepidation, and uncertain as to what the future held and in which direction they were to go, were transformed, energised and filled with conviction by their experience of the Holy Spirit and from then on went forward with confidence and joy.  So let it be with us.

With every blessing,

Reg Sweet
Chaplain

Click here to email me

The Archdeacon of Winchester

Sunday, April 12th, 2009 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Canon Micahel Harley will join St Cross church on the 25 April

Archdeacons of Winchester throughout the years click here. [British History online]

Letter from the Chaplain – March 2009

Thursday, March 5th, 2009 | Letter from the chaplain, Uncategorized | No Comments

I receive regular bulletins from a Christian organisation called Barnabas Aid which monitors the treatment of Churches in various parts of the world. They often make sad and painful reading but show just how courageous many Christians are. In some countries outright persecution takes place with Christians being killed, made homeless, imprisoned and ostracised because of their faith. Yet they remain faithful and continue to witness. Barnabas Aid and other societies and organisations offer support by prayer and material aid to many of these Churches, and certainly those of us who live with the freedom we enjoy should, I believe, do all that we can to help. We are indeed fortunate that we can practise our faith without fear.

Yet this freedom which we have enjoyed for so long may well be being challenged in our society today. Recent incidents reported and highlighted by the media seem to indicate an attitude that is becoming apparent amongst some sections of society of hostility to things Christian – a nurse suspended for offering to pray for a patient; a foster carer banned by her local authority because a Muslim girl in her charge became a Christian; a mother banned from her daughter’s school because the seven-year-old spoke to another child about Jesus; and even a move in the House of Commons and elsewhere to abolish opening prayers. Concern has been expressed by various of our Bishops, as well as by representatives of other denominations, that our country is in increasing danger of losing its Christian identity. The complacency which so many churches have shown, coupled with the desire to show tolerance towards those of other faiths or none, is putting our heritage in jeopardy.

So what, if anything, can be done to counter this trend? Surely it can only be by proclaiming the Good News, the Gospel, in a positive way ‘not only with our lips but in our lives’. And what better time and place to begin but here and now? Perhaps as we move through Lent and Passiontide, sharing in Our Lord’s suffering and death, to Easter and His glorious Resurrection we might remind ourselves of what we are called to do and determine to do our utmost to proclaim Him in our daily lives. With every blessing,

Reg Sweet, Chaplain

Tags: Barnabas Aid, Christians being killed

Churches in Winchester

Friday, December 19th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Children’s Activities at St Cross Church

Thursday, December 11th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Families are always welcome with We really welcome families

Sunday Club

Held in the Brother’s Library, is aimed at children who are old enough to join us without their parents. This often coincides with the point at which they have settled at pre-school.

Obviously there may be a settling in period and parents are welcome to come along with their children during that time. For further information contact Valerie.

The Creche

Aimed at children not old enough for Sunday Club. Parents are welcome to stay in the crèche with their children or to leave them with us. The crèche is held in the vestry which is tucked away behind the organ within the main church building. This makes it easy to pop in when you need to, rather than feel you have to come to crèche for a set amount of time. For more information contact Liz.

Family Service

Held on the second Sunday of each month. Given the nature of the service, the children stay in church throughout the service therefore there is no Sunday Club or Creche.

ABC Club

is a parent and toddler/baby group which provides a safe place for children to play and make friends and also for parents to meet each other. We meet on Monday afternoons in term time at St Faiths Parish Hall from 2.00pm to 3.15pm. Please come and join us. For further information contact Michele.

Letter from the Chaplain – December

Sunday, December 7th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

I wonder which community holds the record for being the first to put up Christmas decorations. Stratford upon Avon will take some beating, as the Town Council had them erected this year in early October!

Already we are hearing the dreaded sounds of ‘Jingle Bells’ and other such ‘festive’ songs, not to mention seeing racks of garish, jokey cards, often of dubious taste, on sale portraying ‘Santa’, snowmen and other such characters. Yes the festive season is upon us and the frenetic rush under way with many of us caught up in it – and certainly the shops are hoping fervently that in spite of the financial situation people will spend and spend.

I wonder what any of it has to do with the event that started it all. Where is Christ in all of this? For many sadly He doesn’t figure and the word ‘Incarnation’ is incomprehensible. As Christians we are facing a tide of secularism which is swamping the real meaning of Christmas and there is, I believe, an urgent need for the churches to regain it. The question is how? Surely it must begin with us. Each one of us is called to be a messenger of the Good News. Each of us is called to proclaim through our lives and actions that profound truth that in the coming of Christ and through His life, teaching, death and resurrection the world was changed and God’s love for His creation revealed.

We need to put once again Christ at the heart of Christmas and show to the world that through that child, born in a stable, the world is redeemed. Let us this Christmastide resolve as a Christian community to do just that and through our worship and shared lives show God’s love in our bit of the world.

May we all experience God’s Blessing this Christmas,

Reg Sweet

Chaplain

Events

Friday, November 7th, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Summary of event

Volunteers WANTED!

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 | Uncategorized, Volunteers Wanted | No Comments

The Parish is a busy place – there is always lots to do.

So many of our Parishioners give so generously with their time. But we always need more. If you have want to support the Parish with some of your time these are the following positions we are currently looking to fill Please contact Murray on PPC-chair@parishofstfaith.org.uk.

Secretary for the Fête

We are still looking for a Secretary for the Fête. These are not onerous tasks and volunteers will be very welcome.

We are also on the look out for

• Flower ladies,
• Sunday coffee servers
• Church cleaners
• 100 Mens Hall  helpers

If you are interested please contact us on volunteers@parishofstfaith.org.uk.