Day 1 Reading > Burghfield Common

Our journey starts at Banbury train station to catch the 07:55 train to Reading.
This is the start of St. James Way our own English Camino. We passed the original Pilgrims Hospice built in 1486, the Abbey Ruins, the prison which housed Orson Wells and a Banksey. After getting our pilgrims passport stamped at Carluccio’s we made our way out of Reading along the canal path.
We met up with Anthony Peabody at St. Mary’s church in Sulhampstead Abbots. He told us we were the 431st & 432nd pilgrims this year. We got a blessing, a pilgrims stamp and were allowed to ring the bell, to me this was like ringing in the New Year 🔔 it is after all New Year’s Eve.Read more