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The Orange Way

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The Orange Way

The orange way


The Orange Way, so called because it follows the march in 1688 of Prince William of Orange and his army from Brixham to London, is a 350 miles (560 km) long-distance footpath in England that passes through Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and London.

Contents

Background information

Since 1685 leading political circles in England had been troubled by King James II of England's Catholicism and his close ties with France. This came to a head with the birth of a son in June 1688. This birth displaced William's Protestant wife Mary as next monarch and raised the prospect of an ongoing Catholic succession.

On 30 June 1688 a group of political figures known afterward as the "Immortal Seven", sent William a formal invitation. He came ashore from the ship Brill at the head of a 15,000 strong Dutch force. James's support began to dissolve almost immediately, and he sent representatives to negotiate with William. On 23 December he was allowed to escape to France.

William summoned a Convention Parliament in England, which met on 22 January 1689 to discuss the appropriate course of action. After negotiation in the House of Commons the Crown was offered to William and Mary as joint sovereigns. Their coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 11 April 1689.

Suggested Route

  • Day 1 Brixham to Berry Pomeroy - 10.5 miles
  • Day 2 Berry Pomeroy to Chudleigh - 18 miles
  • Day 3 Chudleigh to Exeter - 16 miles
  • Day 4 Exeter to Woodbury - 9.5 miles
  • Day 5 Woodbury to Honiton - 19 miles
  • Day 6 Honiton to Axminster - 10.5 miles
  • Day 7 Axminster to Beaminster - 17.5 miles
  • Day 8 Beaminster to East Coker - 15 miles
  • Day 9 East Coker to Goathill - 11 miles
  • Day 10 Goathill to Wincanton - 15.5 miles
  • Day 11 Wincanton to Hindon - 15 miles
  • Day 12 Hindon to Salisbury - 19 miles
  • Day 13 Salisbury to Amesbury - 10 miles
  • Day 14 Amesbury to Everleigh - 14 miles
  • Day 15 Everleigh to Burbage - 8 miles
  • Day 16 Burbage to Hungerford - 16 miles
  • Day 17 Hungerford to Chieveley - 14.5 miles
  • Day 18 Chieveley to Abingdon - 19 miles
  • Day 19 Abingdon to Wallingford - 13.5 miles
  • Day 20 Wallingford to Whitchurch - 11 miles
  • Day 21 Whitchurch to Henley - 16 miles
  • Day 22 Henley to Marlow - 9 miles
  • Day 23 Marlow to Windsor - 14 miles
  • Day 24 Windsor to Brentford - 16 miles
  • Day 25 Brentford to St James's Palace, London - 13 miles
  • Further Information

  • A walker's photographic record
  • Detailed book
  • Site of William's First Parliament
  • Intriguing blog post
  • The Orange Way
  • References

    The Orange Way Wikipedia