{"id":26595,"date":"2026-02-27T23:45:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T23:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=26595"},"modified":"2026-03-14T23:23:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T23:23:59","slug":"from-maidstone-to-holding-back-the-tide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=26595","title":{"rendered":"From Maidstone to “Holding back the tide…”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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A sad fact I learned last August, which led me to try and hold back the tide<\/strong> – like Canute<\/a>…  <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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February 28, 2026 – In the last post we three hikers left Campbells Crib<\/a>, Maidstone<\/a>, last August of 2025. Our next stop – after hiking 12 miles on Sunday, August 24 – would be The Dog & Bear, Lenham<\/a>. (Built in 1602, The D&B <\/em>– visited by Queen Anne<\/a> in 1704 – is a popular pub: “With exposed beams and open fires, the historic bar offers a selection of beverages and real ales.” Also, “cozy log fires, a courtyard terrace and cooked breakfasts.”) That would leave only three more days and 26.5 miles to Canterbury Cathedral<\/a> and the end of our pilgrimage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After hiking just over four miles that Sunday morning we stopped for a stamp at St Mary the Virgin Church, Thurnham<\/a>. Then came a lunchtime disappointment: The Dirty Habit<\/a>, a famous 11th-century pub in Hollingbourne<\/a>, was closed that day for restoration. (Actually it was destroyed by fire in 2022 and won’t reopen until 2026, which I didn’t know that at the time.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as I wrote later, “On a pilgrimage you persevere. And eventually find redemption. (In the form of the Dog and Bear. ‘Thank you, Jesus!’)\u201d Which is being interpreted: That evening I had a pint (or maybe two) at the D&B, to celebrate finishing that day\u2019s 12-mile hike to Lenham. “Three more days to Canterbury, and a week from today I fly back home. Hard to believe.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while we figured after Sunday we’d have 26.5 miles left to Canterbury, Google Maps said it was only 18 miles. But I learned earlier on the hike – like on the one from Clackett Lane<\/a> – that sometimes Google Map’s walking-ways can lead to a “series of near-death experiences, in the form of cars zipping by at high speeds with little or no room on the side of the road.” And that the people who made the Pilgrims’ Way<\/a> – from Winchester to Canterbury – had no idea that someday there would be<\/em> a Google Maps<\/a> to help them get lost. (Or put them in harm’s way<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We did manage to stop for coffee and a light snack at The Black Horse Inn<\/a>, near St Mary the Virgin’s<\/a> church in Thurnham<\/a>. But we didn’t get anything heavy because we anticipated that nice lunch at the Dirty Habit. (Which alas, was not to be.) From there we had another four-plus miles of hiking to the Dog and Bear, mostly through mile after mile of fields of close-cropped, wheat-stubble grass. (And once again, to remind the reader: I was carrying a 20-pound backpack. Thus the “Thank you Jesus” for the refreshing pint (or two) at day’s end.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday, August 25, we hiked 11 miles to the Conningbrook Hotel, Ashford<\/a>. Which meant hiking more mile after mile of fields of close-cropped, wheat-stubble grass. And somewhere heading close to Charing we got a bit lost, on a<\/strong><\/em> trail but not sure it was the<\/strong> <\/em>Trail. Then a balding guy in khaki shorts and dark green t-shirt came by and ended up helping us find our way to St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Charing<\/a>. It turned out he was a Canon<\/a> at Canterbury Cathedral, right where we were headed. (A Canon is “responsible for administering a cathedral or certain other churches that are styled collegiate churches<\/a>.”) But he had some alarming news. (To me anyway.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, five pubs were closing each week in the UK. Which led to me swearing to do my best to try and “hold back the tide,” like King Canute<\/a>. (Hopefully with better results.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday, August 26, we hiked 8.5 miles to The Woolpack Inn, Chilham<\/a>. (Though Google Maps has it as a 7.7-mile hike.) In the morning, we hiked up Canterbury Road, a busy highway with not much room on the shoulder for pedestrians. Heavy and high hedges kept us hemmed in. “Busy road, slow progress \u2013 and a lot of prayer. We had to get up to Boughton Lees<\/a> to get back on the Trail.” That’s what I wrote, but we actually got back on the Trail at Kemp’s Corner, a mile east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there we hiked another mile to visit All Saints’ Church, Boughton Aluph<\/a>. (I have a note in my Pilgrim’s Guide saying we got there at 10:39 a.m. on Tuesday.) Later we passed Chilham Castle, on the way into Chilham. (And our next-to-last day on the Trail.)<\/em> But I enjoyed the town of Chilham so much I figure it’s worth a lot more detail in the next post. In the meantime, if you visit England this year or next join me and King Canute<\/a> in “holding back the tide.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tide of pub closings that is, and maybe even bring The Dirty Habit<\/a> back to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pretty much what we saw when we got to The Dirty Habit pub…<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The upper image is courtesy of Pubs Uk Closing Five Per Week Image – Image Results<\/a><\/em>. As noted below, the range varies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re: Dirty Habit. See Dirty Habit reopening next year | Walking The Pilgrims’ Way<\/a>, and Plans to reopen The Dirty Habit pub in Hollingbourne<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The link in harm’s way – Idioms by The Free Dictionary<\/a> refers to a dangerous place or situation. A Google search will also lead you to In Harm’s Way – Wikipedia<\/a>, on the “1965 American epic<\/a> historical <\/a>romantic<\/a> war film<\/a> produced and directed by Otto Preminger<\/a> and starring John Wayne<\/a>, Kirk Douglas<\/a>, and Patricia Neal<\/a>, with a supporting cast featuring Henry Fonda<\/a> in a lengthy cameo, Tom Tryon<\/a>, Paula Prentiss<\/a>, Stanley Holloway<\/a>, Burgess Meredith<\/a>, Brandon deWilde<\/a>, Jill Haworth<\/a>, Dana Andrews<\/a>, and Franchot Tone<\/a>.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On pub closings see UK Pubs Face Crisis: 8 Close Weekly Amid Rising Costs<\/a>, The \u2018heartbreaking\u2019 number of UK pubs closing every week<\/a>, and more recently, Every pub closed so far in 2026<\/a>, with the headline, “Four pubs a day closing under high-tax Labour.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the King Canute<\/a> link: “His achievements all but forgotten, Canute is now mainly known for a single misinterpreted story.” That is, while the tale is often used as an example of an arrogant king, it “actually celebrates Canute\u2019s good sense and Christian piety.” He was trying to show his pandering minions that he was just a man with limited power. “The story is intended to illustrate his piety… He knows his power is nothing besides that of God.\u201d<\/em> Or see King Cnut and the tide – Wikipedia<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the story, Cnut demonstrates to his flattering courtiers that he has no control over the elements (the incoming tide), explaining that secular power is vain compared to the supreme power<\/a> of God. The episode is frequently alluded to in contexts where the futility of “trying to stop the tide” of an inexorable event is pointed out, but usually misrepresenting Cnut as believing he had supernatural powers, when [in fact it] relates the opposite.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The lower image is courtesy of <\/em>The Dirty Habit Hollingbourne Kent Restoration – Image Results<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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*   *   *   * *   *   *   * February 28, 2026 – In the last post we three hikers left Campbells Crib, Maidstone, last August of 2025. Our next stop – after hiking 12 miles on Sunday, August 24 – would be The Dog & Bear, Lenham. (Built in 1602, The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26595"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26595"}],"version-history":[{"count":122,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26872,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26595\/revisions\/26872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}