Pilgrimage overview
May 24 – June 4, 2023
Led by the Rev. Mark Michael & Amber Noel
We invite you to join us in learning, laughing, and worshipping together in places of deep historical and spiritual significance for the Anglican tradition. We will travel to some of England’s greatest monuments and coziest nooks, hear fine choirs, view gardens in full bloom, and explore rare masterpieces of sacred art and architecture, while also following the footsteps of our tradition’s greatest saints to humble places, to “kneel where prayer has been valid.” We will gather with thousands for the national pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham and enjoy special visits with church leaders and art experts, with lots of time forgood food and fellowship.
Father Mark, editor of THE LIVING CHURCH, prepared for the ministry in England and taught English history for six years. Amber, the director of the Living Church Institute, is a great lover of British culture and literature — and tea. We look forward to this pilgrimage with eager hearts and hope you will join us.
Included
- Airfare in Economy Class
- Bed & Breakfast
- Breakfast & 2 Dinners
Not Included
- Single Room Supplement
- Travel Insurance
- Any item of a personal nature
FLIGHT INFORMATION & ITINERARY:
+FLIGHTS
DEPART:
Wednesday, May 24, British Airways Flight #216, from Dulles International Airport in Washington at 6:35 p.m., arriving at Heathrow in London 6:55 a.m., May 25.
RETURN:
Sunday, June 4, British Airways Flight #293, from Heathrow Airport at 5:10 p.m.,
arriving at Dulles International at 8:25 p.m.
Lightline can arrange connecting connecting flights from other U.S. airports, and/or arrange upgrades. If interested, please write to info@lightlinena.com
+HOTELS
The Cathedral Lodge, Canterbury
The Maid’s Head Hotel, Norwich
The Hotel Indigo, Stratford upon Avon
The Winchester Royal Hotel
The pilgrimage cost shown is based on the exchange rate not rising above £1=$1.25, and
includes air fare in economy class, bed & breakfast, two dinners, and all entrance fees.
The tour reference number: 84903
Day One, Wednesday, May 24
Meet in the evening at Dulles International Airport for overnight flight to London. Dinner served on the flight.
Day Two, Thursday, May 25
Land in London in the morning. After clearing customs and immigration, we’ll make a visit to Windsor Castle, the world’s oldest and largest occupied castle, founded by William the Conqueror. After a tour of the castle, and a visit to St. george’s Chapel to pay our respects to Queen Elizabeth, enjoy lunch and a visit to the gardens. We continue to Cathedral Lodge in Canterbury, for a quiet dinner. Overnight in Canterbury.
Day Three, Friday, May 26
We begin by visiting Canterbury Cathedral, Anglicanism’s mother church, for a pilgrim
Eucharist and tour of the cathedral and its precincts. Explore this charming city on your
own in the afternoon: visiting historic churches or the Roman museum, or enjoying a boat trip on the river — or a little rest. Overnight in Canterbury.
Day Four, Saturday, May 27
Check out of the Cathedral Lodge after breakfast and drive to Knole, a manor house once
belonging to archbishops of Canterbury that features a distinguished art collection and deer park (a favorite hunting ground of King Henry VIII). We will also visit the famed church
in the village of Eye, which has a rare late medieval rood screen.Dinner and overnight stay in
Norwich.
Day Five, Sunday, May 28
Worship this Day of Pentecost at Norwich Cathedral, which dates back to the 10th century and contains a wonderful series of ceiling bosses. Norwich has beautiful gardens, riverside
walks, and more than 30 medieval churches, including St. St. Peter Mancroft, which contains some of England’s finest medieval stained glass, and St. Julian’s which was home to the anchoress-theologian known as Julian of Norwich.
Day Six, Monday, May 29
Meet Simon Cotton, a regular TLC contributor, for a tour of Salle parish church, one of England’s largest and best-preserved late medieval “wool churches,” said to be haunted by the ghost of Anne Boleyn. We continue to Walsingham, a medieval pilgrimage center restored by the local Anglican vicar in the 1930s. We will join thousands for the National Pilgrimage, an annual outdoor Mass in the ruins of the medieval priory followed by a procession through the village streets. Overnight in Norwich.
Day Seven, Tuesday, May 30
Travel across the countryside, stopping off at Little Gidding (of the T.S. Eliot poem) to celebrate the Eucharist in the tiny church where Nicholas Ferrar formed the first Anglican religious community in 1624. We continue to Olney, one of early evangelicalism’s spiritual centers, where John Newton and William Cowper wrote many beloved hymns, including “Amazing grace. Overnight in Stratford upon Avon.
Day Eight, Wednesday, May 31
Depart Stratford for a visit to nearby Coventry Cathedral, famed worldwide for its ministry of reconciliation. We will visit the ruins of its medieval cathedral and the modern cathedral constructed alongside after its bombing during World War II. We return to Stratford for a free afternoon in the Bard’s city. visit one of the houses associated with Shakespeare’s life, visit his grave at Holy Trinity Church, or stop for tea in one of the city’s quirky cafes. After dinner, we hope to attend a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (cost not included in pilgrimage price). Overnight in Stratford upon Avon.
Day Nine, Thursday, June 1
Depart Stratford for a quick trip across the Cotswolds to Oxford, the fabled “city of dreaming spires,” where Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley were martyred, the Tractarians prayed and worked for renewal, and the Inklings captivated the imagination. We beginwith visits to The Kilns (C.S. Lewis’s home). The afternoon is free for exploring. Hike across Port Meadow, punt down the River Isis, explore medieval churches and halls, have a pint in one of England’s oldest pubs, or check out a superb assortment of used bookstores. Gather for Choral Evensong at a college chapel, then make our way to Winchester. Overnight in Winchester.
Day Ten, Friday, June 2
Depart Winchester for Salisbury and a tour of the stunning cathedral, which features England’s tallest spire and largest cloisters, as well as a copy of the Magna Carta. We will also visit the nearby village of Bemerton, known for its priest-poet rector, George Herbert. We will also visit the iconic Stonehenge, a 5,000-year-old solar calendar shrouded in mystery. Overnight in Winchester.
Day Eleven, Saturday, June 3
Begin the day with a tour of Winchester Cathedral and an opportunity to explore England’s ancient capital. Optional walk to Saint Cross Hospital, the nation’s oldest almshouse (thought to be Hiram’s Hospital in Trollope’s The Warden), where 25 brothers still reside, wearing black and claret-colored robes. Another option is to travel in the afternoon to Hursley, where John Keble’s decades of ministry became a model for generations of Tractarian clergy. Then visit the visionary frescoes of World War I artist Stanley Spencer at Sandham Memorial Chapel. Back in Winchester, share a final dinner to mark the close of our pilgrimage.
Day Twelve, Sunday, June 4
We begin our final day with the Choral Eucharist at Winchester Cathedral, before transferring to Heathrow Airport for a late afternoon flight home.
