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Canterbury is a nice quiet city in south east Kent. It is one of the oldest cities in England and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canterbury has a lot of historic landmarks and Roman ruins. In 597AD St. Augustine was sent by the pope to convert the English people to Christianity and soon Canterbury became an important center of the Christian church.

Canterbury Cathedral is the most important landmark in the city along with the St Augustine’s Abbey and St. Martin’s church. Today St Martin’s Church is the oldest church in England and is still in use. Canterbury Cathedral is the Motherchurch of the Anglican Communion and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The cathedral was built in 1070 on the ruins of previous cathedral and was rebuilt many times and a lot of additions were added during the centuries.

The Canterbury Cathedral is enormous, awe inspiring building with impressive proportions. The nave is one of the longest among the medieval churches – 60m (188ft). The choir which is one of the longest was completed in 1184 and the Central tower was added in 1498. Some of the stained glass windows are more than 1,000 years old.

Thomas Becket was murdered here in 1170 and a result Canterbury became major pilgrimage site. Four years later Trinity Chapel was added to house his remains. In 1387 Geoffrey Chaucer was inspired by the status of Canterbury as a pilgrimage spot and wrote The Canterbury Tales.

Westgate Towers Museum is also a popular landmark built in 1381 and has on display guns , armors and armory. The building itself used to be a medieval gatehouse.

River tours along the Great Stour River are very popular attraction. The river is surrounded by houses and low bridges and is a very romantic way to get to know the city. The tour lasts about 30-40 minutes and goes past the 12th century Eastbridge Hospital, The Kings Mill, the Cromwellian iron forge and The Abbots Mill.

Where is Canterbury Cathedral: The Precincts

Opening hours: Mon - Sat 09:00 to 16:30 Sun 12:30 to 14:00

Opening Hours for the Westgate Towers Museum: Mon - Sat 11:00 to 12:30 13:30 to 15:30

Canterbury Cathedral Gate with the statue of Christ



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