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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Tuesday, 2 July 2013. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
WHILE John Henry Newman's connections with Oxford are well known, there is less awareness of his associations with north Oxfordshire. On Wednesday 23 June 1824, at Over Worton, Newman preached his first sermon and in the following year he gave his first public address at a Church Mission Society meeting at Deddington.
On one occasion Newman walked 18 miles to Over Worton from Oxford, starting at 4 am and arriving 'punctually at the breakfast table', as he put it. A pilgrimage took place on on Saturday 22 June, starting at 9am at Oxford's University Church.
The first day ended at Freeland where pilgrims stayed at the Poor Clares' Guesthouse. On the Sunday the pilgrimage went through North Leigh, Finstock (where T. S. Eliot was baptised and Barbara Pym lived), Fawler, Ditchley Park, Kiddington, Radford and Great Tew, reaching Over Worton for a service by the Bishop of Oxford at 7. 30pm.
It closed in Deddington at about 9 pm, with prayers and refreshments.
Find out more about John Henry Newman here.
Full details of the pilgrimage route are available at www. newmanpilgrimage. org .
Contact the Revd Dr Hugh White ( vicarhugo@gmail. com ) for more information.
See also the diocesan pilgrimage project .