2018 is a very special year for this annual pilgrimage on the edge of Romney Marsh as on September 2 it will be the 60th anniversary of the event. The pilgrimage commences with a service of Evensong, beginning at 3pm, in the little church at Ebony, on the road between Appledore and Tenterden. After the shortened service there is a walk of almost a mile to the site of the old church at the top of Chapel Bank, which is still consecrated ground, and the service is completed at this very picturesque place, looking out across the Marsh.
Recent burials in the old churchyard have included Donald Sinden and other members of his family. The preacher this year will be Revd. Canon Stephen Evans, from St. Marylebone Parish Church in London.
The pilgrimage has an interesting history. Because the top of Chapel Bank is some way from any habitations, it was decided to demolish the old church and use the materials to rebuild it in a more accessible place, so in 1858 the new church was opened in Ebony, and documents show that the cost of doing all this at the time was less than £1,000! So this year is the 160th anniversary of that. Extra participants from Rye and district to the service and / or the pilgrimage would be most welcome, and would find it quite fascinating. If conditions are dry enough it is possible to drive to the top for any who have difficulty in walking.
Photos: Revd. Dick Dengate