Via Francigena in England: Walking from Canterbury to Dover

This post is about walking The Via Francigena in England from Canterbury to Dover. The Via Francigena is one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in Europe, stretching from Canterbury to Rome.

Together with the more famous Camino de Santiago and the Jerusalem Way it was one of the “Three Great Pilgrimages of Christendom”.

History of The Via Francigena in England 

The Via Francigena is an ancient pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. Its origins date back to the 10th century, when Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury recorded the stages of his journey to Rome in 990 CE. His route became the traditional pilgrimage trail that thousands of pilgrims followed from England through France, Switzerland and Italy to reach the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome.

Canterbury is regarded as the birthplace of English Christianity and has a long history with pilgrimage. Prior to the English Reformation in the 16th century, medieval Archbishops of Canterbury were expected to undertake the journey to Rome to meet the pope and receive the pallium. A pallium is a narrow band of cloth that is worn across the shoulders. It symbolized the allegiance of the archbishops to the papacy.

Canterbury became a site of pilgrimage itself after Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered inside Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. Thomas Becket was later canonized as a saint. His tomb became one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in medieval Europe. In the 14th century Geoffrey Chaucer published the Canterbury Tales describing the stories of pilgrims on their way from London to Canterbury. This path is still known as The Pilgrims Way.

Both the Via Francigena and the Pilgrims Way declined in popularity after the English Reformation. However, nowadays both see a revival with the renewed interest in pilgrimage.

Why hike the Via Francigena in England

As the origins of the Via Francigena are so strongly linked to Canterbury, Canterbury makes for a logical place to start the pilgrimage to Rome.

The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome does a good job in maintaining and promoting the Via Francigena in England. Recently they even developed an extension from London to Canterbury. When I started my pilgrimage in London I couldn’t find a lot of information about the new Via Francigena Brittanica. Therefore, I decided to follow the traditional Pilgrim’s Way as described in the Canterbury Tales.

Looking at both itineraries the routes are almost the same. Following ancient pilgrimage trails through the rolling hills of the Kent Downs with its historic churches and traditional English villages. Whether you start in London or Canterbury, you are in for a nice experience getting to know the English countryside.

The Via Francigena Itinerary: from Canterbury to Dover

In this post I will focus on the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Dover. If you want to start in London you can see my itinerary on the Pilgrims Way from London to Canterbury.

In Canterbury (or in Southwark Cathedral in London) you can buy your Via Francigena credential at the cathedral. Almost all the churches on the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Dover provide stamps for your credential.

Day 1: Canterbury to Shepherdswell

The Via Francigena in England starts at Canterbury Cathedral. The section from Canterbury to Shepherdswell is full of history with ancient churches linked to the birth of christianity in England.

Before leaving Canterbury I stopped at the ruins of St.Augustine Abbey. St. Augustine was a missionary from Rome and succesfully converted king Ethelbert of Kent. St. Augustine then became the first archbishop of Canterbury and in 598 built the first abbey in England.

A bit further on is St.Martin’s church. This used to be the private chapel of queen Bertha of Kent. The christian wife of king Ethelbert. This might also explain why king Ethelbert converted to christianity so easily and then gave land to St. Augustine to built an abbey. It still is the oldest church in England.

Slowly the urban outskirts of Canterbury give way to quiet country lanes through the gentle countryside of the Kent Downs. The small villages along the way have welcomed pilgrims for centuries and have beautiful historic churches.

Patrixbourne and Womenswold are particularly charming villages. The church in Patrixbourne has a beautiful 12th century tympanum. It shows Christ flanked by a stunning collection of mythical creatures, animals and birds.

Highlights: St.Augustine Abbey, St. Martin’s church, Patrixbourne church, Womenswold, Shepherdswell

Difficulty: 17 km, easy

Accomodation: There is no accomodation in Shepherdswell. Pilgrims with a tent can camp at the Coxhill camping that is open from June till October. However, as Shepherdswell has a train station, it is very easy to travel to Canterbury or Dover where you can find plenty of options.

Day 2: Shepherdswell to Dover

The Via Francigena section from Shepherdswell to Dover goes through farmlands and wide arable fields. In my experience it was less beautiful than yesterday’s section, but there were still some nice things to see.

After the quiet village of Shepherdswell the trail continued through the green fields of the Waldershare estate with its beautiful All Saint’s church. Before descending into Dover I enjoyed some nice first views on the sea and Dover Castle.

The route then descends through a beautiful cemetery and the pleasant Connaught Park. The Dover Castle is well worth a visit. I spent most of my afternoon walking around the castle ground before continuing down to the center of Dover.

In Dover you can take the Ferry to continue the Via Francigena in France

Highlights: Waldershare estate, All Saint’s church Waldershare, Dover Castle

Difficulty: 15 kilometers, easy

Accomodation: In Dover there is cheap dormitory accomodation available at The Dover Priory Hotel (close to the train station), Les Fleurs (close to the center) or First and Last Youth Hostel (close to the ferry)

Via Francigena in England Travel Tips

Accomodation on the Via Francigena in England

Unlike the Camino, there are very few dedicated pilgrim hostels or budget albergues on The Via Francigena in England. It is therefore best to base yourself in either Canterbury or Dover where you have enough options to choose from.

Shepherdswell is on the South Eastern Rail line, making it easy to take a train to Dover or Canterbury and rejoin the trail on the next day.

In Canterbury the best place to stay is without doubt the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge that is within the cathedral grounds itself. If this is not within your budget, the cheapest option is the YHA Hostel. Both options were fully booked when I reached Canterbury. Therefore I ended up in the Greyfriars Lodge (A basic, but nice budget option)

In Dover there is cheap dormitory accomodation available at The Dover Priory Hotel (close to the train station and also has budget single rooms), Les Fleurs (close to the center) or First and Last Youth Hostel (close to the ferry)

Another advantage of basing yourself in Canterbury or Dover is that you can leave part of your luggage at the hostel and only need to carry a day pack. Currently, there are no luggage forwarding services available on the Via Francigena in England.

Food on the Via Francigena in England

There are plenty of food options and supermarkets in both Canterbury or Dover. However, in the rural villages in between there are few facilities. In Shepherdswell there is a small super market. Still it is better to buy enough snacks and food in Canterbury or Dover.

In Canterbury I recommend The Cornish Bakery where you can buy traditional Cornish pasties that make for an excellent lunch on the trail.

Transport on the Via Francigena in England

The Via Francigena in England is well connected by public transport. Canterbury, Shepherdswell and Dover are on the Southeastern rail line. This makes it easy to travel back and forth along the trail or to and from London.

If you are planning to take the ferry to Calais where the Via Francigena continues in France, it is good to know that only P&O ferries takes foot passengers. Furthermore, foot passengers can not buy their tickets in the terminal, but need to book foot passenger tickets in advance.

The crossing takes 90 minutes, but you also need to be at the terminal at least 90 minutes before departure, because of the border formalities.

Navigation on the Via Francigena in England

The Via Francigena from Canterbury to Dover is well marked and I found it very easy to find my way. In addition I downloaded the gpx files for the sections from Canterbury to Dover from the Via Francigena website.

The Via Francigena works together with Alltrails, an app where you can add the most recent gpx files. In addition, the Camino Ninja app also features the Via Francigena

Safety on the Via Francigena in England

The Via Francigena in England from Canterbury to Dover is a very safe trail, because of the easy terrain. Although there are few other pilgrims you’re rarely far from civilization.

The main risks are typical hiking hazards rather than crime, including slippery paths, uneven terrain, road crossings, and occasional navigation errors where waymarking is unclear. By carrying suitable gear, checking the weather, and following basic hiking precautions, you can prevent any problems from happening.

Solo Female Travel on the Via Francigena

I hiked the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Dover as a Solo Female Traveller and in my experience it was very safe. I never felt uneasy or unsafe. The English people along the way are extremely friendly and welcoming and it would have been easy to find help when needed.

Planning the Via Francigena in England

When to go hiking the Via Francigena in England

The Canterbury Tales opens with a verse about the arrival of spring in April and how it awakens in people a longing to go on pilgrimages. I wasn’t even aware of this opening verse when I planned my pilgrimage in April on The Pilgrims Way and the Via Francigena in England, but I can say April is a wonderful time to go.

Although April can still be cold, it coincides with the peak of England’s spring bloom. The rapeseed and mustard fields turn into a bright yellow making the walk into Dover through the countryside even more beautiful.

In theory you can walk the Via Francigena in England year round, but winter can be wet and muddy. Therefore, the best months to hike the Pilgrims’ Way is between April and October when temperatures are mild.

Resources on the Via Francigena in England

There are an increasing number of books about the Camino to Santiago, but books about the Via Francigena are still less common. Nevertheless, there are some good guidebooks on the Via Francigena in England and a small number of memoirs written by pilgrims.

Cicerone Guidebook: Cicerone covers the Full Via Francigena in four different guidebooks. For the English part from Canterbury to Dover you need Part 1 from Canterbury to Lausanne. The maps are useful and the guide also provides some historical background information.

Lightfoot Guide: The Lightfoot Guide is more up to date then Cicerone and has very detailed maps, making it impossible to get lost. Another advantage is that they are available as e-books.

Weg van de Franken: Dutch readers can download the guidebooks from Ben Teunissen for free on his website ‘De Weg van de Franken‘. The guides haven’t been updated since 2022 and he sometimes took a different route from the ones described in Cicerone or Lightfoot. Nevertheless I loved reading the guidebooks for its historical background information. The section from Canterbury to Dover is here.

Timothy Egan: A Pilgrimage to Eternity: Timothy Egan describes his pilgrimage to Rome starting in Canterbury. It’s a little bit of a dissapointment to read that he actually did not walk the full way. As a true modern pilgrim he skipped large sections by taking buses or taxi’s. Still, I enjoyed reading his book as he delves into history with intriguing stories and anecdotes of the places he passes through. His first chapters describe the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Dover.

Derry Brabs – Pilgrimage: Derry Brabs released a very beautiful picture reference book, called Pilgrimage, that also includes the Via Francigena and other pilgrimage routes in Europe.

Sustainable travel on the Via Francigena in England 

Traveling sustainably on the Via Francigena is essential to minimize your environmental impact and preserve the area’s natural beauty for future generations.

Leave no trace principle: When hiking the Via Francigena, stick to designated trails to protect the environment. Straying off the marked paths can cause soil erosion and damage to plant life.

I encourage you to take all your trash back with you and dispose of it responsibly. In other words, leave no trace of your visit. It is even better when you bring something to pick up any of the trash that other people left behind. To avoid single-use plastics, invest in reusable items. For example, you can bring your own water bottle.

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