A Thomas Becket Water Pilgrimage - July 2020
A journey on foot from Saltwood Castle to Canterbury Cathedral, for the 800th anniversary of Thomas Becket’s ‘Translation’ - his body being placed in the new shrine. Back in 1220, this was the biggest event in Europe. Free wine and forage for the horses, and every crowned head in Europe showed up. In 2020, it was pretty quiet…
I started at Saltwod Castle, and drew water from the ancient well. This is the place that Becket’s murderers rode from, when they killed the Archbishop in 1170. This is the same water source they would have drunk from.
All the way to Canterbury, I left a trail of this water, as I tried to carry peregrine intentions of non-murder, to wash clean the ancient path.
This was a two day pilgrimage. I slept overnight in Elham. It ended at the now empty space where Becket’s shrine once stood. All trace of him was wiped out by Henry VIII at the Reformation.
