Canterbury - "Ave Mater Angliae"
The ancient City of Canterbury is dominated by its rather imposing and beautiful Anglican Cathedral which conveniently marks the spot used previously for "older" religions. In that fine historic religious tradition...
Becket's tomb within lies with the bones and ghosts of royalty and cleric alike but is perhaps the main reason for the cathedral visits by hordes of coach drawn French students on the Channel Hop. Our advice is to time your visits to the weekends or late afternoons to avoid these ...
Thomas Becket was a Saint, Martyr and Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry II. He was a powerful and ambitious prelate who supported the authority of the Pope over the dictates of the King. As a result Henry had Becket assassinated within the Cathedral on the 29th December, 1170, a sword being driven through the top of his skull ... and then .... . He was canonised two years later. Which made the local tourism chief, ye olde tat sellers and innkeepers very happy .... when they found all the bits ....
Canterbury IS a beautiful place and worth taking time out to visit in detail. Although badly damaged in 1942's Baedeker Raid (so named after the travel guides used by the enemy bombers!), much of its ancient "feel" remains.
Only more recent commercial pressures have, for instance, caused a downturn in the numbers of pubs in the area - once claimed to offer a different pub each day of the year within a five-mile radius of the Cathedral. There are sixty plus remaining within the environs of the City ..... List of pubs!.
The City centre is undergoing huge redevelopment and remains something of a tip while the demands of archaeology and commercial development come face to face. The redevelopment will be an improvement on what passed as "acceptable" previously....
The Church Commissioners exercise their rights in exacting the highest possible (= swingeing) commercial rents for properties they own in the locality (=most of them!) and this explains why regular shops have gradually given way to bijou galleries and short-lived fast-turnover emporiums around the Cathedral in particular.
The High street features the usual range of national multiples and a good selection of quick eateries, not unlike just about anywhere else. However, there is that special charm about the place ... all credit to The Planners and Conservators at the council! The City is, by and large, considered "good" for shopping.
Canterbury - at the hub of East Kent
The Cathedral City finds itself at a strategic position at the hub of the East Kent region and en route to the major port of Dover and others nearby. You can check out the links alongside for the info of past and present.
The City is reachable by car in about two hours from Heathrow and London - and less than hour from the M25, much less from Maidstone, Folkestone (Channel Tunnel) and Dover.
Train journeys from London Charing Cross via Ashford to Canterbury West, or from London Victoria to Canterbury East via Faversham take a little less than two hours.
Useful links