Between the Chalk and the Sea: A journey on foot into the past
£2.80
‘I loved this memoir’ – Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path
‘A whole new way of looking at a familiar landscape’ – Neil Ansell, author of The Last Wilderness
‘Delightful’ – Country Life
An old map. A lost pilgrimage route. A journey in search of our walking heritage.
When Henry VIII banned pilgrimage in 1538, he ended not only a centuries-old tradition of walking as an act of faith, but a valuable chance to discover the joy of walking as an escape from the burdens of everyday life.
Much was lost when these journeys faded from our collective memory, but clues to our past remain. On an antique map in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, a faint red line threading through towns and villages between Southampton and Canterbury suggests a significant, though long-forgotten, road. Renamed the Old Way, medieval pilgrims are thought to have travelled this route to reach the celebrated shrine of Thomas Becket.
Described as England’s Camino, this long-distance footpath carves through one of the nation’s most iconic landscapes – one that links prehistoric earthworks, abandoned monasteries, Saxon churches, ruined castles and historic seaports.
Over four seasons, travel writer Gail Simmons walks the Old Way to rediscover what a long journey on foot offers us today. In the age of the car, what does it mean to embrace ‘slow travel’? Why does being a woman walking alone still feel like a radical act? In an age when walking connects the nation, can we now reclaim pilgrimage as a secular act?
Winding 240 miles between the chalk hills and shifting seascapes of the south coast, Gail ventures deep into our past, exploring this lost path and telling a story of kings and knights, peasants and pilgrims, of ancient folklore and modern politics. Blending history, anthropology, etymology and geology, Gail’s walk along the Old Way reveals the rich natural and cultural heritage found on our own doorstep.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Headline (16 Feb. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 6326 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 330 pages |
| Page numbers source ISBN | 147228027X |
by Such a wonderful book; pure escapism. Living in the area it is such a lovely journey through the Sussex landscape and visiting the beautiful churches along the way. Definitely one of my books that will be re-read regularly when I need a happy place.
I loved everything about it. For a good read.
by Amazon Customer
A pilgrimage recounting the fascinating history of places journeyed through along the way and the people previously connected with them, juxtaposed with our modern day world. A joy to read!
by spiraller
Gail Simmons decided to do her walk during the height of the pandemic so all the usual features of a worthwhile travel book are missing. She couldn’t visit places of interest such as the Roman villa that was closed, she couldn’t stay overnight where she intended on her “pilgrimage” because churches and nunneries etc were closed, she didn’t have interesting conversations with people met along the way because nobody spoke to her. Simmons also had no thoughts to share about the state of England during the pandemic or any memorable thoughts at all apparently. That leaves a dull and repetitive description of a long walk through places the author didn’t seem to connect with and didn’t have anything interesting to write about.
by Rev. Brad Karelius
Well written and excellent background history and landscape detail along pilgrim way. Unfortunately this writer is part of a popular literary genre that explores spiritual places as non faith persons so there is none of soul I was looking for. Reminds me of Descartes’ concept of Buffered Self: don’t let the mystical or spiritual penetrate your Self and change you.
by Robert Minton-Taylor
In the 1970s I worked for a cross-Channel ferry company plying the Dover-Calais and Dover- Zeebrugge routes.
It was always an evocative moment returning from the European Continent to see those looming not so white chalk cliffs towering over Dover Harbour as the ship edged its way into port.
As an island race we have a close affinity with the sea and those chalky cliffs and the undulating chalk countryside that runs inland along our South Coast.
That scenery is part of who we are whether it be by the sea or on land as much of this book covers – the pilgrim routes from Southampton to Canterbury.
Having read Gail Simmonds first book “The Country of Larks” I was hoping that her second book would be as equally as engrossing. But it’s even better. For a start it’s a beautifully produced book with some great drawings and the typesetting is spot on. I know you shouldn’t get excited about typesetting and layout, but I learnt to typeset back in the 60s, so it’s important to me.
This is an attractive book. It tells a delightful story and it’s easy to relate to. Simmonds also gets it. She understands what pull those chalk cliffs and countryside have on the English psyche and she writes so elegantly. It’s very understated prose, but it’s so wonderfully written. I almost feel that I am walking alongside her on her journey along those ancient pilgrimage byways.
I’m not a countryside walker, I prefer cities, but you can’t helped be charmed by this book. After a stressful day this is just the kind of book to relax with. A thoroughly recommended read.
PS I should own up that Gail and her husband Richard Bailey are family friends, but as she knows I don’t pull my punches – II was born a Yorkshireman after all.
by Amazon Customer
One of the most wonderful books I have ever read. Every page was a delight, encompassing nature, geography, history and joyful thoughts. Gail Simmons words are eloquent and descriptive making this book a very easy and happy read.
by Lindsay Talmud
This is a very personal account of Gail Simmons’ secular pilgrimage from Southampton to Canterbury, over a period of more than a year. As she traverses the ancient route, she manages to convey plenty of emotion and a sense of history, as well as a profound understanding of her surroundings – nature, the seasons, sacred places, plant and animal life. This is all done in a lucid style, in which she achieves a good balance of description and insight that together added a valuable layer to my appreciation of the south east corner of England, where I live. I lapped it up.
by David H Winter
Review of BETWEEN THE CHALK AND THE SEA by Gail Simmons
As Gail Simmons leads us on the 240 mile rediscovered Old Way Pilgrimage
route to Canterbury, she relates its history. She also points out and
identifies flowers and birds and offers rural surprises as the trail presents
challenges of climbs and dips in both sunshine and inclement weather.
Many churches and ruins along the way are visited, and we easily
visualize past history. This is an enlightening read. GSW