Pilgrims' PROGRESS

Three women share their experiences of taking a very special walk

- CATHERINE LARNER

'I think of all the people who have walked these routes in the past'

Rita James, 79, a retired textile design consultant, lives in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

The particularly famous pilgrimage routes are those to Walsingham and Canterbury, but I was looking to do something locally. My diocese recognises St Edmund as being important, both ecclesiastically and historically. So far I have been on two pilgrimages organised in East Anglia.

In one journey I walked 30 miles in two days from Ely Cathedral to Bury St Edmunds – that was quite taxing! We were following the footsteps of the Benedictine monks who were responsible for founding the Abbey of St Edmund. The following year we walked from Dunwich to Bury St Edmunds, visiting churches dedicated to St Botolph. That took six days and we did 76 miles.

The pilgrimage starts with a blessing for the journey and finishes with evensong. You don't have to be a member of a church to do it, it's not exclusive in any way. For me it's important to be part of a community of people who find that a simpler life brings them closer to nature. I like being able to slow down in the open air, and I think of all the people who have walked these routes in the past. The paths have been there for centuries and it's amazing how far you can go without being on a main road.

There are about 25 of us, and we cater for all sorts of walkers. There is a back marker, so if you're slow you don't have to worry. I'm rather fast, pretty near the front, but maybe one day I won't be able to do that.