It’s theoretically possible to do something more English this Saturday than take part in the Red House Pilgrimage, but only if you’re taking tea with Stephen Fry, Postman Pat and a statue of Churchill at the centre of Stonehenge. Otherwise, this 13-mile, Chaucer-inspired ramble through south-east London, which ends at William Morris’s Red House with an evening of folk music, cider and hog roast, is about as traditional as it gets.
The walk, one of hundreds of National Trust Great British Walks taking place this autumn, starts between 9 and 11am at The George Inn on Borough High Street, where you’ll be greeted by local playwright and historian John Constable, the first of four speakers to appear along the route. Grab a map, download a smartphone audio guide and limber up – you’re about to walk for six to eight hours with only three breaks: Dilston Grove in Southwark Park, the recently re-opened Queen’s Orchard in Greenwich Park and an Arts and Crafts garden in the ancient Oxleas Wood. At each stop a local storyteller will read works from Morris’s Kelmscott Press, famous for publishing the so-called Kelmscott Chaucer, considered perhaps the most beautiful book in history. But Red House is the place to party.
The travel-worn pilgrim will find hot food, cold drink and live music, along with outdoor games from Morris’s tera and a lecture from Pre-Raphaelite expert Jan Marsh. Best of all, there are tours of the Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts Red House itself, where visitors will be among the first to see a recently uncovered six-by-eight-foot wall painting discovered last month after National Trust conservation staff moved a wardrobe and peeled back some wallpaper. The painting, which features a cast of biblical characters, is believed to have been work of Morris and other prominent Pre-Raphaelites including Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones.
Walkers are advised to arrive at the start at 9am; cyclists and those who plan to use public transport an hour or so later. Concessions are available for National Trust members and – in a nod to Morris’ famously fiery house – redheads.
Please note: The Red House portion of the event does not start until 5pm. Please begin the tour at The George Inn on Borough High St (SE1 1NH).
Click here for a full list of National Trust Great British Walks.