GUIDED TOURS OF WALSINGHAM
Discover the history of Walsingham - Place of Pilgrimage since 1061
Modern Shrines: Georgian Courthouse/Prison; Fine Medieval buildings
April and October - Wednesdays at 11.00am
May-September-Wednesday & Thursday at 11.00am
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
The Shirehall, Common Place, Little Walsingham
Group bookings welcomed throughout the year
Contact: Scilla Landale 01328 820250/07747 693235
OPEN DAILY
March to October
10am - 4.30pm
�3 Adults & �2 Concessions
Includes admission to the Shirehall Museum
Unrivalled and spectacular natural display
of snowdrops in early spring
(grounds open throughout February)
WALSINGHAM ABBEY GROUNDS
Set in the medieval village of Little Walsingham
the grounds contain the remains of an Augustinian Priory
in picturesque and tranquil gardens with woodland and river walks
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE RING
01328 820510 or 01328 824432
Email: jackie@walsingham-estate.co.uk
Tourist Information
Walsingham Tourist Information Centre:
Shire Hall Museum, Common Place, tel
01328 820510.
PERHAPS it is the unique secluded
rural setting in North Norfolk, cou-
pled with the many ancient build-
ings, that gives Walsingham such a
distinct atmosphere of yesteryear.
The feeling of history is all around you, and the
impression it leaves is likely to be a lasting one.
On a quiet day it almost seems as if you have
been transported back 900 years or so to the
time of the first pilgrimages to this most revered
of holy shrines � although it can get very busy
on days when there are major pilgrimages, with
up to 6,000 visitors to the village.
But at most other times you can walk along
the peaceful, medieval streets and share the
atmosphere experienced by pilgrims in the
Middle Ages, visiting Walsingham's first shrine
before Henry VIII destroyed the monasteries in
the 1500s.
The aura of tranquillity is even more apparent
in Walsingham Abbey Grounds where there are
the remains of an Augustinian Priory and pleas-
ant woodland and river walks.
Today, the Anglican Shrine is in Walsingham
itself, while the Roman Catholic Shrine is at near-
by Houghton St Giles, being linked to
Walsingham by the Holy Mile.
VISION
The first Walsingham shrine was established, it
is believed, by Richeldis, Lady of the Manor of
Walsingham, after she had a vision of the Virgin
Mary in a dream.
It is said that she had such a vivid impression
of the Holy Family's home that she was able to
recreate it in Walsingham, establishing the little
Norfolk village as a centre of worship that
appealed to the highest in the land for centuries.
GUIDED tours of Walsingham, which give you
a wonderful introduction to this fascinating
village, are arranged from the Tourist
Information Centre at The Shirehall Museum.
This year the tours celebrate their 21st
anniversary, an achievement of which the
guides are very proud.
Tours will take place on Wednesdays and
Thursdays from May to September, and on
Wednesdays in April and October. Tours start
at 11am from the Tourist information Centre.
Group bookings available throughout the
year -- contact Scilla Landale on 01328
820250 or 07747 693235.
With Walsingham so rich in medieval history
and architecture from various periods, a guid-
ed tour will really enhance your understanding
and appreciation of this most special place.
King Edward I made at least 12 pilgrimages to
Walsingham, and Edward II is recorded as being
there in 1315 and 1326.
Edward III left an enduring sign upon the vil-
lage which outlasted the shrine itself � on an inn
board. The black lion from the shield of arms of
his wife, Queen Philipa of Hainault, can still be
seen on the hotel in Friday Market Place, and
after 600 years, the Black Lion is still providing
food and lodging for pilgrims.
Scotland's King David Bruce came to
Walsingham, and the great scholar Erasmus
wrote in 1512, after visiting the shrine: "When
you look in, you would say it was the mansion of
the saints, so much does it glitter on all sides
with jewels, gold and silver."
Henry VIII actually made a pilgrimage there,
staying at East Barsham Manor and walking the
last mile barefoot. But when he split with the
church of Rome he destroyed Walsingham with
the rest of the monasteries.
In 1511 he had presented the statue of Mary
at Walsingham with a valuable necklace and
used to pay 20 shillings a year for `the King's
priest to sing before
our Lady of
Walsingham.' But in
1538 the shrine was
dismantled under
Henry's orders and the
statue was taken to
Chelsea and burned.
Pilgrims were heard no
more until 1897 when
the shrine began once
again to be venerated,
becoming eventually
the Roman Catholic
National Shrine.
The historic centre
of Walsingham.
Insight into
historic past
Follow in footsteps
of famous kings

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