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Canterbury

Captivating Canterbury

  • by ashford
  • A travel journal
  • Last Updated: April 21, 2001
Journal Usefulness Rating 3 out of 5
Journal Usefulness
8
Reviews
3
Experiences

Canterbury is a captivating place. It is home to the mother church of the Anglican church,has interesting literary associations and dates back to Roman times.

Captivating Canterbury

Overview

Must see spots include Canterbury Cathedral, the Weavers, Westgate Towers, Kings' School Canterbury, and the shopping center on a busy summer's afternoon.

Quick Tips:

Do check out the bookshops in Canterbury.

Best Way To Get Around:

Canterbury, whose center has been pedestrianized, is made for walking.

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Express By Holiday Inn Canterbury

Hotel

Express by Holiday Inn

This is a no frills, modern budget hotel, conveniently located on the A2 trunk road, some four miles west of the city center. It offers good value for money with its 89 comfortable, well-equipped, guest rooms. They all have en suite bathrooms-not always the case in England-color TV with satelite channels like Sky TV, shower, DDT, computer point, and a complementary continental buffet breakfast. There is ample free car parking at this hotel.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ashford on April 21, 2001

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Express By Holiday Inn Canterbury
UPPER HARBLEDOWN Canterbury, England CT2 9HX
441227865000

The Moat Tea Rooms

Restaurant

The Moat Tea Rooms

On your trip to Canterbury you should set some time aside to visit a historic tea house and the Moat Tea Rooms in the Burgate, which is open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm and might be just the place for you. Housed in an attractive 16th century building, The Moat Tea Rooms, is a great place for a cup of Earl Grey Tea, Morning Coffee and a tasty sandwich, cream cake or pastry. They also do hot snacks if you want a light lunch and at prices which could be regarded as reasonable.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ashford on April 21, 2001

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The Moat Tea Rooms
67 Burgate Canterbury, England CT1 2HJ
(01227) 784-514

Falstaff hotel

Restaurant

The Falstaff Hotel

I have dined at the Falstaff Hotel, which is located near to the Westgate Towers, five or six times. On all occasions I have had their set lunch which at 5 pounds (US$7.50) is a real snip. For this you get two courses, a starter and an entree, together with your choice of bread rolls and butter. The food at this award winning restaurant is excellent - on my last trip I had a wonderful onion tart for starters and a grilled stingray dish for my entry. Service is excellent and the adjoining bar is a congenial spot for a pre-lunch drink.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ashford on April 19, 2001

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Falstaff hotel
St. Dunstans Street Canterbury, England CT2 8AF
(01227) 462-138

Cafe Rouge

Restaurant

Cafe Rouge

Whenever I am in Canterbury I pop into the French-owned Cafe Rouge in the heart of the city. The coffee, croissants and pastries here are thoroughly delectable. You will get a cappuccino for around a pound and they also do a deal comprising a coffee with a pastry at reduced prices. A great spot to sit in and unwind after the rigors of shopping in the city.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ashford on April 19, 2001

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Cafe Rouge
53 St Peters Street Canterbury, England
(01227) 763-833

West Gate Museum

Activity

West Gate Museum

Here you can explore one of England's best medieval fortified gatehouses, complete with the likes of defensive features such as "...murder holes.." This little museum provides fine panoramic views of the city from the battlements and also has interesting displays of arms and armor, including replicas to try on. If you are so inclined you can even try your hand at the ancient craft of brass rubbing. A good place to spend an hour or so! Admission is US$1.50.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by ashford on April 21, 2001

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West Gate Museum
St Dunstan's Street Canterbury, England

Royal Museum & Art Gallery

Activity

Royal Museum & Art Gallery

The Museum & Art Gallery is housed in the Beaney Institute, a striking Victorian building, in the High Street of Canterbury. It includes collections of porcelain and art, notably by TS Cooper. The Gallery also houses touring exhibitions and the work of local artists. The military museum of the Buffs Regiment-now disbanded but which formerly recruited from the East Kent area-will interest military "buffs". The Museum is not of international quality but is worth an hour's visit.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by ashford on April 21, 2001

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Royal Museum & Art Gallery
in the Beaney Institute - High Street Canterbury, England

St. Augustine's Abbey

Activity

St. Augustine's Abbey

St. Augustine's Abbey was founded in 598 AD by...surprise,surprise...St. Augustine. This Abbey is at the very heart of the history of Christianity in England. It has actually been a monastic site for nearly a thousand years. The admission price of US$3.75 includes an interesting interactive tour of the ruins. There is a museum and information center and this houses fascinating exhibits discovered during earlier excavations. There is also a well-stocked shop if you want to get a momento of your visit to Canterbury.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ashford on April 21, 2001

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St. Augustine's Abbey
Long Port Canterbury, England
(01227) 767 345

Canterbury Heritage Museum

Activity

Canterbury Heritage Museum

The Canterbury Heritage Museum is housed in the former "Poor Priests" Hospital which is a nicely restored building with medieval interiors in Stour Street. The place provides an interesting insight into all the great events, important artifacts and famous people of Canterbury's long history. Literary figures alone associated with this city include Daniel Defoe, Geoffrey Chaucer, Jonathan Swift,Somerset Maugham, Thomas Gray, TS Elliot, Joseph Conrad, Ian Fleming, John Keats, and Christopher Marlowe. You can metaphorically walk through time from the founding of the original roman settlement, the matrydom of Saint Thomas, war time in Canterbury and the cute story of Rupert Bear.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by ashford on April 21, 2001

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Canterbury Heritage Museum
Stour Street (in the former "Poor Priests" Hospital) Canterbury, England

Things to See and Do In Canterbury

Experience

Canterbury has a great deal to offer the visitor. It has a fine Cathedral which is not only the mother church of the Church of England but is full of history. It houses the tomb of Thomas A'Beckett and a number of well known figures are buried here.

The Weavers are a delight and I recommend you take a boat trip along the river-you will get an interesting perspective on this historic city. There is a very nice coffee house in the historic building which was once the home of European emigres escaping persecution.

Shopping in Canterbury can be a very pleasant experience. There are several excellent department stores including the elegant Ricemans and the large Debenham stores. There is also a branch of the Reject Shop if you want to buy fine English china at moderate prices.

Canterbury, although a small city, has a number of very good book shops and if you are a history buff you will find that several of the book stores have very good selections of history books.

The city has a cinema and the Marlowe Theater stages live shows and some pre-west End productions.

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Check Out St Martin's Church

Experience

Do you love old churches? If you do you should follow Longport and head for North Holmes Road in Canterbury. Once there you will see St Martin's Church. This church, founded during the Roman occupation, is the oldest known church in England. Its roman bricks can be seen in the chancel walls and the history of the church is illustrated in the glorious stained-glass windows.

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The University of Kent

Experience

The University of Kent at Canterbury is situated in the northern part of the city and offers some spectacular views of Canterbury. Surprisinly perhaps for such an old city, the U is comparatively young, not being founded until the mid-1960s. There are some attractive buildings on the campus but overall I would not rate it as a beautiful campus. The Gulbenkian theater, which is housed, on the campus is well worth a visit and the bookshop is a good one.

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About the Writer

ashford
ashford
Subang Jaya, Malaysia
  • "I am a British born economist and writer but currently live and work in Malaysia. I love travel,read..."
  • 13 journals
  • 0 photos
  • 46 reviews

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