Cross the south of England from Winchester to Canterbury on a 144-mile ancient pilgrimage route: the Pilgrims’ Way.

From the enormous cathedral at Winchester, the trail travels through welcoming rural communities and across the North Downs. It promises an approachable challenge with plenty of historic and religious buildings to visit along the way, building up to the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Canterbury Cathedral.

The Pilgrims’ Way departs Winchester on a series of quiet footpaths between rural villages, tracing St Swithun’s Way through the Itchen Valley and along the River Wey to Farnham.

From here, it shadows the North Downs Way all the way to Canterbury. The Pilgrims’ Way shuns some of the National Trail’s steeper climbs and higher-level paths in favour of a gentler mid-level walk beneath the shoulder of the North Downs escarpment, winding through woodland, chalk grassland and the occasional fragrant orchard. That’s not to say the route is without its climbs, with far-reaching views aplenty over the surrounding countryside.