The Purkis Walk - Introduction

THE PURKIS WALK - Introduction

The Purkis Walk recreates as closely as possible, allowing for current geography and the demands of modern transport, the route taken by ' one Purkis ' on the 2nd of August 1100. The route starts from the spot where Purkis discovered the dead body of King William ll and placed the body on his cart. The spot now marked by the ' Rufus Stone. ' The Purkis Walk then makes its way, through Romsey, to Winchester following the route taken by the simple charcoal burner on his way to deposit his gruesome find at Winchester Cathedral.

The credit and thanks for the extensive historical research, the local knowledge and work towards the recreation of the walk goes to Don Bryan and Graham Cooper, with special assistance from John Aston, Peter Croft and Steve Cattell.

The approximated timings for the walk allow for a very easy pace, with plenty of breaks, and it can be completed in a greatly reduced time by the fit walker.

To Print ' The Walk. '

If you wish to print ' the walk ' please do so from the screen ( cut and paste will not work ) and I have endeavoured to set these pages up so that they print neatly onto separate pages.

If you can, I recommend you do the walk on or about the anniversary of the event in early August, for as you walk out of sunshine into the quiet of woodland and the temperature drops as shadow envelops you, the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you know for sure that you are walking through history.

So to start at the Rufus Stone, click on Stage 1 for directions for the first part of the walk to Winchester.