Womenswold
The Via Francigena pilgrimage begins in Canterbury. VFFE-001 is the first walk from Canterbury to Shepherdswell. Via Francigena English villages along the way are highlights. Womenswold, prononounced ‘Willins-wold” has charming thatched cottages and the historic Church of St Margaret of Antioch.
Its name has interesting and varied Anglo-Saxon origins. It first appears in a Charter of 824 AD as ‘Wimlincga Wald’. This referred to a wood or pasture for swine of the Wimlincga tribe. Wymynswold and Wimlingswold or Wymelyngewolde are other variations of the name. “Wimel” could be the name of the place ‘ingas’ meaning ‘the people’ and “wald” means ‘forest’. The name implies the forest of the people of Wine’.
St Margaret of Antioch
Like all of the Via Francigena English villages, Womenswold has an historic church with a pilgrim passport stamp. The church is dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch, a 3rd century Saint of Asia Minor. Here are some special features to discover:
- A small brown effigy of the saint on the exterior above the east window.
- Kentish Ragstone faced with flints.
- An aisle-less nave.
- West end has a square tower.
- East end has a large chancel with three Early English lancet windows.
- A small transept on the north side of the east end of the nave.
- Bronze Age burial mounds.