The Pilgrim Steps

From the Cathedral guidebook:

The pilgrim steps, their stone treads worn down by countless pilgrims over the centuries, are now protected by wooden boards. The shrine these pilgrims had come to visit was that of a an called William. Little is know about, him except that he was probably a baker from Perth in Scotland making his own pilgrimage to Canterbury and perhaps on to Rome and the Holy Land. On his way out of Rochester he was murdered. His body was found by a local woman who appeared to by cured of her madness as a result.

Monks gathered up his body and buried it in the cathedral. Further miracles were reported and a shrine developed, with William reputedly canonised as a saint in 1256. Pilgrims gave money as shrine offerings and this contributed to the rebuilding work of the early 1200s. William’s shrine and the shrines of the other saints here were destroyed at the Reformation.

12 Comments CherryPie on Feb 17th 2012

12 Responses to “The Pilgrim Steps”

  1. Marcie says:

    Wonderful little story behind these stone steps. I love learning history thru your lens!!

  2. jameshigham says:

    Wonder if He ever looks down at everyone going in there?

  3. Astrid says:

    Beautiful story and picture. Love the steps and the corridor into the chapel.

  4. Sean Jeating says:

    I am sure the local woman who appeared to by cured of her madness as a result was an ancestor of mine. I am not mad. I do not believe in such nonsense.

    A nice story, anyway. Some people will certainly believe.

  5. If they remove those wooden boards, I reckon another two, three years, it will become the Pilgrim Slide.:)