ROUTE 1066 – Day 9: Tuesday 10 November 2026 – ROCHESTER to DARTFORD (16 + 1 miles)
Well today, for the first time on my ROUTE 1066 walk, it seems that I have lost William’s trail. I have said before that his path from Canterbury to Southwark is unknown, so I have just taken it upon myself to get from A to B (in this case Canterbury to Southwark) and to pick up his trail from there. So, in his absence, maybe just a few words on the man himself that may provide some useful background. At the time of his arrival at Pevensey Bay in late September 1066, William was 38 or 39 years old (his birth year is not known precisely) and, having yet to acquire ‘Conqueror’ status, he was more commonly known as ‘William the Bastard’: the product of Duke Robert I of Normandy and his mistress Herleva of Falaise. His illegitimacy caused early problems for the young Duke of Normandy (which he had become in 1035), as members of the Norman elite battled to gain control of him – but he seemingly overcame these difficulties, and was in quite a position of strength in January 1066 when Edward the Confessor, King of England passed away, leaving William with the belief that he was the rightful heir of the English throne following the oath sworn in his favour some years previously by Harold Godwinson. We have discussed in earlier Blogs the subsequent events leading to the invasion, and to his confrontation with Harold at Hastings, and I hope to pick up the story of William’s conquest again once I reach Southwark in a couple of days’ time. Meanwhile a note for your diaries: 2027 is being celebrated as ‘The European Year of the Normans’ to coincide with the (possible) thousandth anniversary of William’s birth. I am not entirely sure what this will mean, other than ‘an opportunity to celebrate the Norman heritage across the UK, France and Europe’ but I believe that the current display of the Bayeux Tapestry in London is a part of the festivities, along with various events and exhibitions being planned on both sides of the Channel over the course of next year.
Back now to my journey, and I discovered last night that Rochester has the unlikely distinction of being the first and only English town to have lost its one-time ‘city’ status. Seeing the cathedral in all its evening glory prompted me to look up the circumstances of Rochester – apparently the place was granted city status in 1211 and held this for nearly 800 years, before being swallowed up in the 1998 local government reorganisations – whereupon the place was subsumed into the new council of the Medway conurbation, thus causing an accidental loss of city status. Despite some local pressure for an official reinstatement this has yet to happen, and Rochester now stands as a mere town (albeit with a fine castle and a magnificent cathedral). Now there is a local cause for someones to get stuck into!
I believe that Kentish lore makes a distinction between those from east and west of the River Medway, and hence on leaving my hotel this morning and crossing eastwards over Rochester Bridge I morphed from being a Man of Kent into a Kentish Man! In the morning chill this did not seem to have any discernible affect on me: my mood remained good, as my early start was rewarded with rapidly-clearing mist, and a milky sun breaking through the murk and soon bringing some blue skies. Rain was forecast for later in the day, and duly arrived later this afternoon, but I succeeded in reaching my destination in Dartford warm and dry.
Not only did I beat the rain today, but I am being well looked-after this evening, following a most kind offer from my friend Nick, a former colleague at Prudential, and his wife Fran. How lovely to enjoy friendship and entertaining company after nine days ‘on the trail’, and to relish home-cooked food again! Thank you both for your kindness and hospitality.
Thank you for following my ROUTE 1066 journey – re-tracing the steps of William the Conqueror in 1066 on his 360-mile campaign trail from Pevensey Bay, via Berkhamsted, and on to Westminster Abbey. If you are following my Blog, enjoying the ramble, and would like to help us to SAVE CASTLE FIELDS for future generations by pledging £39 to sponsor a 3×3-metre square of the land, then please click on this link:
THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING MY ROUTE 1066 WALK, AND FOR HELPING TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF CASTLE FIELDS
My Blog heading today ‘Gimme Shelter’ is the title of a Jagger-Richards number recorded by the Rolling Stones as the opening track on the band’s 1969 album ‘Let It Bleed’. The song covers the brutalities of war, or as Jagger once put it: ‘a very moody piece about the world closing in on you’. So the lyrics have a certain relevance to William’s campaign – but the title might also be interpreted as a slightly calmer plea for the delights of home comforts. Thank you again to Nick and Fran!
