abbey walks

St. Bernard’s Way

abbey monkSt. Bernard’s Way is a 1573.4 km / 977.7 mile long distance walking route from Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, England to Citeaux Abbey, south of Dijon in France.  It has been created in recognition of monastic travels that were undertaken in the 12th to 14th centuries, and of St. Bernard of Clairvaux who was instrumental in the development and expansion of the Cistercian Order.

 

St. Bernard’s Way follows the popular pilgrim route ‘Via Francigena’  between Canterbury and Beaujeu, France, where the St. Bernard’s Way then continues on its own route to Citeaux Abbey.  This is the route that the Abbot of Rievaulx Abbey and his companions will have taken each year in order to attend their General Chapter meeting at Citeaux Abbey on Holy Day, 11 September.

 

Route Overview:

 

Interactive Google Map:

 

Learn More before you walk:

 

St. Bernard's Way Information and Stages:

 

This long distance walk links with several other popular National Trails and established long distance paths including the Cleveland Way,  North Downs Way, Ridgeway and Thames Path National Trails, the Barnsley Boundary Walk, Chiltern Way, Darent Valley Path, Dearne Way, Ebor Way, Harrogate Ringway, Leeds Country Way, Mowbray Way, Nene Way, Nidderdale Way, Pilgrim's Way, Shining Lights of the North Way, Swale Way, and the Trans Pennine Way plus many more !

 

St Bernard’s Way has 33 stages in the UK, and 35 in France.  We have started and ended each stage at locations where accommodation is available.  Stage walk times are based on Naismith's Rule.

 

UK Stages (1-33):

Click on a stage name to get details and see map information.

 

Stage Number / Name Distance ( km ) Distance ( miles ) Time ( hours )

Stage 1: Helmsley - Rievaulx Abbey and Byland Abbey

13.4

8.6

3 - 3.5

Stage 2: Byland Abbey - Brafferton

18.5

11.6

4 - 4.5

Stage 3: Brafferton - Fountains Abbey

23.3

14.5

5 - 5.5

Stege 4: Fountains Abbey - Harrogate

18.3

11.3

4 - 4.5

Stage 5: Harrogate - Kirkstall Abbey

33.1

20.7

8 - 8.5

Stage 6: Kirkstall Abbey - Oulton

13.9

8.6

3.5 - 4

Stage 7: Oulton - Old Moor House

36.5

22.6

9 - 9.5

Stage 8: Old Moor House - Roche Abbey

24.4

15.1

5.5 - 6

Stage 9: Roche Abbey - Worksop

20.3

12.6

4.5 - 5

Stage 10: Worksop - Rufford Abbey

25.6

15.9

6 - 6.5

Stage 11: Rufford Abbey - Gunthorpe

31.5

19.5

7.5 - 8

Stage 12: Gunthorpe - Woolsthorpe

24.9

15.4

6 - 6.5

Stage 13: Woolsthorpe - Vaudey Abbey

32.5

20.3

8 - 8.5

Stage 14: Vaudey Abbey - Duddington

30.0

18.6

7.5 - 8

Stage 15: Duddington - Great Easton

29.3

18.2

7 - 7.5

Stage 16: Great Easton - Pipewell Abbey

15.3

9.5

3.5 - 4

Stage 17: Pipewell Abbey - Irthlingborough

28.5

17.1

6 - 6.5

Stage 18: Irthlingborough - Harrold

25.9

16.0

5.5 - 6

Stage 19: Harrold - Cranfield

17.6

11.0

4 - 4.5

Stage 20: Cranfield - Woburn Abbey

17.6

11.0

4 - 4.5

Stage 21: Woburn Abbey - Eaton Bray

18.7

11.7

4.5 - 5

Stage 22: Eaton Bray - Little Gaddesden

13.5

8.4

3 - 3.5

Stage 23: Little Gaddesden - St Albans

24.5

15.2

5 - 5.5

Stage 24: St Albans - Elstree

18.8

11.6

4.5 - 5

Stage 25: Elstree - St Pancras (London)

29.6

18.3

7 - 7.5

Stage 26: St Pancras - Greenwich

15.5

9.6

3 - 3.5

Stage 27: Greenwich - Dartford

30.6

19.0

7.5 - 8

Stage 28: Dartford - Fawkham Green

12.0

7.4

3 - 3.5

Stage 29: Fawkham Green - Rochester

19.6

12.1

4.5 - 5

Stage 30: Rochester - Detling

14.7

9.2

3.5 - 4

Stage 31: Detling - Westwell

24.9

15.5

6 - 6.5

Stage 32: Westwell - Canterbury

24.1

14.9

5.5 - 6

Stage 33: Canterbury - Dover - Route 1

31.2

19.3

7.5 - 8

Stage 33: Canterbury - Dover - Route 2

31.6

19.6

7.5 - 8

 

France Stages (34-68):

Click on a stage name to get details and see map information.

 

Stage Number / Name Distance ( km ) Distance ( miles ) Time ( hours )

Stage 34: Calais - Guînes

10.8

6.7

2.5 - 3

Stage 35: Guînes - Licques

17.2

10.6

4 - 4.5

Stage 36: Licques - Tournhem-Sur-Hem

16.6

10.3

3 - 3.5

Stage 37: Tournhem-Sur-Hem - Wisques

18.7

11.6

4 - 4.5

Stage 38: Wisques - Thérouanne

12.4

7.7

3

Stage 39: Thérouanne - Amettes

18.1

11.2

4.5 - 5

Stage 40: Amettes - Abbaye De Belval (Belval)

25.2

15.6

7 - 7.5

Stage 41: Belval - Bruay-la-Buissière

26.5

16.4

6.5 - 7

Stage 42: Bruay-la-Buissière - Arras

40.2

24.9

9.5 - 10

Stage 43: Arras - Bapaume

29.3

18.2

7.5 - 8

Stage 44: Bapaume - Péronne

27.4

17.0

7 - 7.5

Stage 45: Péronne - Trefcon

19.8

12.0

4.5 - 5

Stage 46: Trefcon - Tergnier

29.9

19.0

7.5 - 8

Stage 47: Tergnier - Laon

33.7

33.7

8 - 8.5

Stage 48: Laon - Corbeny

26.7

16.5

6.5 - 7

Stage 49: Corbeny - Hermonville

19.3

11.9

4.5 - 5

Stage 50: Hermonville - Reims

15.9

9.8

4 - 4.5

Stage 51: Reims to Condé-sur-Marne

38.7

24.0

9.5 - 10

Stage 52: Condé-sur-Marne to Châlons-en-Champagne

18.1

11.2

4.5 - 5

Stage 53: Châlons-en-Champagne - Coole

27.9

17.5

6.5 - 7

Stage 54: Coole - Corbeil

18.9

11.7

4.5 - 5

Stage 55: Corbeil - Brienne-le-Château

31.0

19.2

7.5 - 8

Stage 56: Brienne-le-Château - Dolencourt

20.9

12.9

5 - 5.5

Stage 57: Dolencourt - Bar-sur-Aube

10.5

6.0

2.5 - 3

Stage 58: Bar-sur-Aube - Clairvaux

15.6

9.3

3 - 3.5

Stage 59: Clairvaux - Mormant

35.9

22.3

8.5 - 9

Stage 60: Mormant - Langres

25.5

16.0

6.5 - 7

Stage 61: Langres - Coublanc

32.8

20.3

7.5 - 8

Stage 62: Coublanc to Dampierre-sur-Salon 32.7 20.3 7 - 7.5

Stage 63: Dampierre-sur-Salon to Gray

35.0

21.7

8.5 - 9

Stage 64: Gray to Pesmes

31.9

19.8

8 - 8.5

Stage 65: Pesmes to Lamarche-sur-Saône

16.9

10.5

4 - 4.5

Stage 66: Lamarche-sur-Saône to Labergement Foigney

12.0

7.5

3 - 3.5

Stage 67: Labergement Foigney - Citeaux Abbey

27.3

17.0

6.5 - 7

 

 

 

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