Birinus Pilgrimage Route: Churn Knob - Dorchester
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Under Revision whilst waiting for amemdments. Aug 2019
Until recently there was an annual pilgrimage in honour of St Birinus following this route from high on the downs, through ancient villages, across water meadows and over the Sinodun Hills to the old abbey at Dorchester-on-Thames.
The walk begins at Churn Knob on the Berkshire Downs (though now in Oxfordshire) where St Birinus preached the Christian Gospel to King Cygnalis of the West Saxons. It drops down to the village of Blewbury, with its crystal-clear streams straight out of the chalk and its pretty thatched cottages.
Passing over Blewburton Hill with its ancient hill-fort and across low-lying farmland, it reaches South Morton before continuing over water meadows laced with drainage ditches to Mackney, then Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. From here it climbs up over the Sinodun Hills with another ancient hill-fort and the poem tree, before descending to Little Wittenham, then crossing the Thames at Day's Lock.
Finally it passes the Dyke Hills to enter Dorchester-on-Thames, with St Birinus' Church (Catholic) and Dorchester Abbey (now the Anglican Parish Church). The land for the abbey was given by King Cygnalis when he was baptised in the river here.
The churches at Blewbury, South Moreton, Brightwell, Little Wittenham and Dorchester (where pilgrims used to have their 'passports' stamped) are all worth a visit, as are the villages themselves if you admire picturesque old architecture.
The start of the pilgrimage is away from any road access, so this walk has additional waymarks and the pilgrimage begins at Waymark 04.
England - Central England - Oxfordshire - Thames Valley
Features
Ancient Monument, Birds, Butterflies, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Hills or Fells, Museum, Nature Trail, Pub, River, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife