On Wednesday 1st April, King’s Lynn welcomed the Northern and Midland legs of the Pilgrim Cross Easter pilgrimage to Walsingham. The Northern group had walked 112 miles from Nottingham, while the Midland group covered 114 miles from Leicester.
Before the official groups arrived, a separate band of pilgrims made their way to the chapel, having journeyed all the way from Manchester. Camping along the way, they retraced the footsteps of 16th-century pilgrims and were delighted to visit the Red Mount Chapel for only the second time before travelling on.
Each group of Pilgrim Cross walkers, typically 25 to 30 people, includes a diverse mix of ages, ranging from early 20s to over 65. For seven days, they carry a large wooden cross weighing approximately 30kg as they make their way to the Shrine of Our Lady in Walsingham, arriving there on Good Friday. Along their journey, the groups pause at the Red Mount Chapel in King’s Lynn for a short rest and reflection.
The Northern Group from Nottingham were the first to arrive at the Red Mount Chapel, where they met by the Mayor, Cllr Andy Bullen and his consort Jane Jestice along with members of the Friends of The Walks, who had arranged the reception and the welcome refreshments for the weary travellers.
This year they were also blessed by having Mirabelle Domine-Walley, dressed up as the King’s Lynn 14th–century mystic Margery Kempe, travelling with the pilgrims from West Lynn over the ferry, joining with them for their hymn singing on arrival at the Red Mount. King’s Lynn based Mirabelle together with Luke Walker, supported by a team of local volunteers, are co-writers and directors of a film based on The Book of Margery Kemp, titled The Mystic.
The 15th-century Red Mount Chapel was originally built as a rest stop for pilgrims making their way to Walsingham, who arrived in King’s Lynn either on foot via the ferry or by ship from the continent. At its peak, Walsingham was the second most popular pilgrimage destination in England after Canterbury.
Friends of The Walks Vice-Chair Gary Walker, who had organised the reception said “it is great to see the Red Mount being used for pilgrimages just as it was before these were banned by Henry VIII in 1538. The Red Mount is unique in its construction and is open for viewing on Wednesdays and Sundays from May to September.”
Although pilgrimages were banned by Henry VIII in 1538, it remains fitting that today’s modern pilgrims continue this ancient tradition, visiting the historic Red Mount on their journey.
Pilgrim Cross aims to blend traditional and contemporary elements of pilgrimage, including poetry and music beyond the bounds of conventional church services. After enjoying their refreshments, the groups gathered in the upper chapel for a short service with hymns—concluding, most appropriately, with a spirited rendition of John Bunyan’s classic, To Be a Pilgrim.
