St Mary, North Marden - reflections on a Pilgrimage (part 1)

I visited St Mary’s on day three of a four-day Pilgrimage back in February of this year. I was following the newly described “Mary’s Crescent” pilgrimage curated by Dr Tim Goulder (2023 published by Countryside Books,Newbury).

I had seen the book by chance in the local authors section of One Tree Books in Petersfield, whilst shopping in the lead up to the previous Christmas. Having talked endlessly and over many years about completing a pilgrimage route but holding off due to concerns about the walking health of my right knee, this pilgrimage ticked several physical and metaphysical boxes (groan).

·        Relatively short days walking through a familiar landscape

·        Local – I was never more than a half an hour drive (rescue) from home.

·        Exploring aspects of my home turf which I had never previously enjoyed.

·        Ending the Pilgrimage at Chichester Cathedral

The pilgrimage is described starting at St Mary, Porchester Castle, and ending at Chichester Cathedral – forming an arc which heads north over Portsdown Hill along the Meon Valley to Droxford before heading east following the South Downs Way to Buriton, then on to South Harting, North Marden, Singleton, ending at Chichester Cathedral four days later.

As my affection for Chichester Cathedral noted elsewhere in this Blog, is given. I will not repeat myself here. However, it is safe to add that walking the final stretch of the pilgrimage on day four from St Mary, East Levant through farmland, the outer limits of the city, then North Street turning onto West Street and then seeing the statue of St Richard beckoning – was a rush. (That I bumped into a work colleague and his partner on North Street and failed to string a coherent sentence together testament to the profound and overwhelming feeling of well-being invoked by my peregrination).

Going back to the day before – I had walked south off of the South Downs Way, past an estate I had not heard of before – then down through a hedge of mature Hazel (Corylus avellana) it’s base already showing signs of spring flowers – before crossing the B2141 following a farm track, and entering the church yard of this singular building.

A single cell comprising of both nave and apse, the church’s foundation dated to the 12th Century though modified throughout and up to and including the modern roof and bell-cote, with one bell dating from 1829.

The leaflet found within “Notes on EAST and NORTH MARDEN and their CHURCHES” picks out the variously aged, architectural features, adding meat to the bones of the church’s description within the pilgrimage guidebook.

It is a beautiful and serene space, and on first stepping through the door whereupon my mind was silenced, and I sat for a long while in quiet meditation before exploring the finer details of the churches as described in the literature to hand.

signs of Spring

St Mary North Marden February 13th 2025

Chichester Cathedral - St Richard on St Valentine's Day

Reading:

Goulder, T. (2023) Mary's Crescent Countryside Books Newbury

McLaren, P. (undated) Notes on EAST and NORTH MARDEN and their CHURCHES Midhurst and Petworth Printers