The Via Francigena is an ancient pilgrimage route that runs from Canterbury to Rome in Italy, and from there to Apulia from whence pilgrims would continue their travels to the Holy Land.
The stone installation and bench which contain this cache were installed as part of Dover Arts Development Via Francigena Trail project and is the last of a series of three pieces of work; the others being After the Black Gold at Woolage Village and Monumenta Romana on the Waldershare Estate.
The sculptor (The Polysmic Practice) has used local flints, lime mortar, and stones from other landmarks nearby - including Kingston Church which you can just about see in the Valley, between the trees. As well as a topographic map of the route, it very thoughtfully, it contains a hidey-hole specifically for the purpose of Geocaching !
Once you’ve found the cache, you may want to take a moment to sit and think about the many thousands of pilgrims who may have passed this way between Canterbury and Rome over the last 1,300 years since the route was established!
