Compostela requirements, pre Camino Ingles in UK

[BarbaraW]

I am planning to walk part of the Augustine Camino between Canterbury and Ramsgate prior to walking the Camino Ingles from A Coruña. I know that this route is recognised by the Pilgrim Office. What I can't find the answer to anywhere obvious (CSJ, BPT and Pilgrim Office websites) is:
whether there is any problem if I walk this section "backwards" to Canterbury
whether I must get 2 stamps per day for this stretch as per normal last 100k rules.

I'd also love to hear from anyone who has walked it. I'm planning this particular route for travel convenience and easy walking over 2 days with my 9 year old granddaughter.

 

[Vacajoe]

The Pilgrims Office has routinely accepted verbal assurances that you have walked a previous distance in your home country without requiring further proof. Getting stamps in the UK is quite difficult, so 2 a day seems infeasible. Having a credential that tracks your stages in the UK would be helpful, but it’s understandable if it’s not the same as walking the full distance in Spain,

 

[henrythedog]

You might fall foul of the stipulation that a ‘conventional’ Camino can be walked in stages (including as assured in a past post on here) the ‘last 100k’. That was news to me, but the poster who I can not recall was authoritative and certain.

However!

The progression in stages has to be towards Santiago.

If the PO will accept a verbal assurance, that would be fine; but I’ve no experience of that and a walk simply from Coruna to Santiago would ordinarily not qualify.

There are several on here who have volunteered in the PO. I’m sure one will be along shortly.

 

[BarbaraW]

Both the Confraternity of Saint James and the Brierley Camino Ingles guide state that 25 k walked on a recognised pilgrim route in your country of origin "counts" towards a Compostela for a Camino Ingles from A Coruña.
If the requirement is to walk towards SdC, then Ramsgate to Canterbury is better than the reverse!

 

[miguel_gp]

Please see this thread from Feb 2022 where @Mark McCarthy had spoken to the Pilgrim Office regarding the 25km in your home country
Post in thread 'Starting in A Coruña vs Ferrol?' https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/starting-in-a-coruna-vs-ferrol.73273/post-999731

 

[henrythedog]

Both the Confraternity of Saint James and the Brierley Camino Ingles guide state that 25 k walked on a recognised pilgrim route in your country of origin "counts" towards a Compostela for a Camino Ingles from A Coruña.
If the requirement is to walk towards SdC, then Ramsgate to Canterbury is better than the reverse!

Embarrassingly my familiarity with the geography of Spain is better than that of the south of England. TBH I’ve spent more time in Spain.

 

[Theresa Brandon]

I walked 25K in the US, getting stamps from Post Offices and Libraries. It wasn't any sort of recognized route, just town to town. I then brought my stamped Credencial, a letter from a local priest, and a map with distances marked on it. Walked from La Coruna to Santiago, getting two stamps a day. The first person I showed this to at the Pilgrims Office didn't know what to do so they brought someone else over who approved my Compostela.

 

[Peterborough]

I am planning to walk part of the Augustine Camino between Canterbury and Ramsgate prior to walking the Camino Ingles from A Coruña. I know that this route is recognised by the Pilgrim Office. What I can't find the answer to anywhere obvious (CSJ, BPT and Pilgrim Office websites) is:
whether there is any problem if I walk this section "backwards" to Canterbury
whether I must get 2 stamps per day for this stretch as per normal last 100k rules.

I'd also love to hear from anyone who has walked it. I'm planning this particular route for travel convenience and easy walking over 2 days with my 9 year old granddaughter.

In June 2022 ,I walked from Rochester to Ramsgate. I managed to geta total of 8 stamps. Finding 5 stamps between Canterbury and Ramsgate.( Canterbury, Fordwich, St Mary's Minster, Minster Abbey and Ramsgate) If I remember correctly, the section from Plucks Gutter to Minster was fairly overgrown.

 

[JabbaPapa]

whether there is any problem if I walk this section "backwards" to Canterbury

It's somewhat counterintuitive, but no there isn't.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I walked 25K in the US, getting stamps from Post Offices and Libraries. It wasn't any sort of recognized route, just town to town. I then brought my stamped Credencial, a letter from a local priest

The latter is always a good thing to have on these sorts of more unconventional routes.

 

[Marcus1]

I am planning to walk part of the Augustine Camino between Canterbury and Ramsgate prior to walking the Camino Ingles from A Coruña. I know that this route is recognised by the Pilgrim Office. What I can't find the answer to anywhere obvious (CSJ, BPT and Pilgrim Office websites) is:
whether there is any problem if I walk this section "backwards" to Canterbury
whether I must get 2 stamps per day for this stretch as per normal last 100k rules.

I'd also love to hear from anyone who has walked it. I'm planning this particular route for travel convenience and easy walking over 2 days with my 9 year old granddaughter.

I do not think your plan will present any problem once you are in the Pilgrims Office.
We walked in Durham and then from A Coruna and se cured two stamps a day.
We found the staff in Santiago very enthusiastic about our Camino and were more than helpful and very willing to issue us with our Compostela.
I think they will find your Camino a pleasant change from the norm.
Buen Camino

 

[Vacajoe]

I walked 25K in the US, getting stamps from Post Offices and Libraries. It wasn't any sort of recognized route, just town to town. I then brought my stamped Credencial, a letter from a local priest, and a map with distances marked on it. Walked from La Coruna to Santiago, getting two stamps a day. The first person I showed this to at the Pilgrims Office didn't know what to do so they brought someone else over who approved my Compostela.

25K?!?!?! You must have criss-crossed the entire country a few times. Impressive! Unless you mean 25km…which is nice, too, but far less the feat of endurance

 

[BarbaraW]

Thank you all so much for your helpful and enjoyable replies. I think we will walk as planned and trust.
I particularly appreciated @Miguel-gp's link to the thread which already had the information I needed, but which I had failed to find.

 

[chris_yyc]

I walked the St James Way (Reading to Southampton) in Feb 2024 as a precursor to a continued walk on the Camino Ingles from Ferrol that same month. I had no worries whatsoever. I obtained my credential from the Confraternity of St James in the UK. A lot of the churches in the UK had stamps (It helped that for some of it I was on the Pilgrims Way). With many new pilgrimage routes emerging in the UK there are a lot more stamps available (including having pubs / accommodation stamps and signed dates).I got one stamp per day min, but ended up with many more (as normal!). The staff at the Santiago Pilgrims office were delighted that I had started in the UK and added that distance to my Compostela / Certificate of distance. Good luck!

PS: Canterbury will 100% have a stamp!!!

 

[BarbaraW]

Just reporting back in case anyone else is looking for information. We ended up walking Canterbury to Ramsgate: this worked better for train times and mileage in relation to our overnight stop at Grove Ferry. No problems at all at the pilgrim office in Santiago - they just asked how many k I had walked in the UK.. We managed to get two stamps per day. The stamp at the place where we stayed was broken so the proprietor just signed and dated my credential.