Walsingham is a village in Norfolk, United Kingdom; actually two villages, Little Walsingham, and Great Walsingham, and became a destination for pilgrims after the belief that Mary, mother of Jesus, appeared in a vision to one Richeldis de Faverches, who was a devout Saxon noblewoman. The vision occurred in 1061, and to commemorate the event Lady Richeldis then had a Holy House specially built to imitate the home in which the Annunciation occurred, which became the shrine and destination of this pilgrimage.

The Holy House was passed on to Lady Richeldis’ son, Geoffrey, who was left instructions to build a Priory in Walsingham. Since that time, the Priory was transferred into the care of Canons Regular, and this was reported to be sometime between 1146 and 1174.

Initially Walsingham was a place of pilgrimage for Catholics, but during Henry VIII’s reign, the Shrine at Walsingham was destroyed in 1538 during the Dissolution of Monasteries, and this is when the Church of England was formed with Henry VIII, and each subsequent monarch being the Head of the Church of England since that act. The Shrine had become one of the most frequented pilgrimages, matched only by Glastonbury and Canterbury, and was an achievable pilgrimage when travelling to Rome and Compostella was difficult.

Many Kings visited the Shrine, thereby increasing its popularity, and increasing its wealth. It is reported that the Shrine’s visitors included Henry III; Edwards II and III; Henry IV, and interestingly, Henry VIII, and Erasmus, full name Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, a Catholic Christian Theologian.

Walsingham is now a place of pilgrimage for both Catholics and Anglicans alike since Father Alfred Hope Pattern, having been appointed as the Church of England Vicar of Walsingham in 1921 kindled interest in the pre-Reformation pilgrimage. It is said to have been his idea to have a new statue of Our Lady of Walsingham made, and had it based on the image that was portrayed on the seal of the mediaeval priory. The new statue was set up in 1922 in the Parish Church of St. Mary, and following this a regular pilgrimage devotion then occurred. It is said that from the first night of the statue being placed there, people gathered around to pray, and asking Mary, mother of Jesus, to join her prayers with theirs.

If you visit Walsingham today, you will find two shrines to Our Lady of Walsingham. One is the Roman Catholic Shrine, which is centred in the Slipper Chapel, and was established by Pope Leo XIII in 1897, the other shrine being the Anglican, which is centred on the Holy House, which underwent a rebuild in1931, and was then further extended in 1938.

There is very often an ecumenical feature to the pilgrimages to Walsingham, with the pilgrims arriving first at the Slipper Chapel, and then continuing by walking to the Holy House at the Anglican Shrine.