A nice gentle start to break us into this pilgrimage, with perfect weather and some nice pubs along the way.
At 8am we set off from St. James Church, next to Forbury Gardens and Reading Abbey ruins. The busy streets from the night before now empty save a few dog walkers.
We followed the route to the canal where we got a picture with a Camino way-marker in the Galician style. On it, it read ‘690 miles’; the distance to Santiago de Compostela.
There was a detour from here, due to repair works on the towpath that brought us through apartment blocks, until returning to the river Kennet.
The towpath took us through the restaurant and bar areas before giving way to the suburbs and eventually to the countryside – glad to be away from city.
I settled into the walk, watching the waterfowl glide along the water with the cathartic chug of passing narrow boats.
At 7km in, we reached the ‘Cunning Man’ pub, right on the towpath. Ideal stop for a tea and collecting the first stamp on the way. We missed the one at the start, as the museum closed at 5 last night and it isn’t open on Sundays.
The path continued on along the river, and at one point it was overgrown with nettles, adding a bit of jeopardy for wearing shorts today.
At Sheffield Bottom, we had lunch at the Fox and Hounds, getting the second stamp of the day. Two pilgrims entered for the stamp and moved on. Their bags suspiciously small for a journey to Southampton.
The route moves away from the river past a nature reserve then across countryside and small woodlands. A few gentle hills led us into Burghfield.
Here we left the SJW to head to our digs for the night. We booked a hotel at Wokefield Estate; a golf club/conference/leisure centre. Bit posh for scruffy pilgrims, but unfortunately I had no response from the sanctuary network representative in Mortimer.
Day one complete, a nice 20km stroll.
Stu's Camino 