CANTERBURY

(stronghold of the Cantware, or people of Kent. The earlier British name for the settlement was Darovernon, meaning 'swamp fort'. The Romans adopted the name and called it Durovernum Cantiacorum.)

It's high time I covered what is undoubtedly the most important place in the history of the Church of England. Maidstone may be the County Town of Kent, but ask any stranger which is the most important, and the answer will be Canterbury.

Canterbury is such a complex city, with a history stretching right back to pre-Roman times, and historical buildings by the score, that this visit I could only cover a small portion of it. Romans, Catholics, Cathars, Huguenots, white friars, black friars, grey friars, Anglicans, have all left their mark on it, so it will take at least one more visit to cover it all.

I chose to not visit the Cathedral this time, as I really wanted to give an overview of the city this time round. However, if you would like a vision of how it looked in 1945, then ..................

The tomb of Edward, the Black Prince

Following his murderous death, the body of Thomas Becket was placed here, in the crypt. Almost immediately, there were reports emerging of miracle cures taking place there. Becket was declared a saint in 1173.

There is quite a heafty charge to visit the Cathedral, but you can at least pass through Christ Church gate and photograph a corner of the outside of the building! For a start, this is the cathedral side of the gateway - 

and a couple of the outside of the Cathedral itself - 

Canterbury was first a Roman city (Durovernum Cantiacorum), strategically placed on the Roman road (Watling Street, now called the A2) that led from the port of Dubris (Dover) to Londinium (London).

Later, it became a Saxon settlement, and then in 597AD, the site of the mission by St. Augustine to bring Christianity back to Britain. It was Augustine who founded the cathedral, as well as his now-ruined abbey, just across the road. This whole area, including the little church of St. Martin's (the oldest parish church in England still in use) has been designated a World Heritage Site.

It was here that St. Augustine began the conversion of the pagan islanders in 597.

St Augustine built a cathedral church within the old Roman city walls of Canterbury, and he became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. A Christian community grew up around the cathedral, managing the building and its environs. In the 10th century this community formally became a Benedictine monastery.

The remains of the original 6th century cathedral established by Augustine lie beneath the nave. Excavation has shown that Augustine's church was built in part on top of a Roman road, presumably to provide a solid foundation.

Right so on to the colour stuff.............

Let's start with the city walls. Sadly, large portions of the city walls have gone, and only one of the main city gates still exists, even though the others exist in the names of the areas where they stood. (Northgate being the best known.) This marks where Riding Gate once stood.

The Romans erected the first walls around Canterbury between 270 and 290 AD. Very little of those Roman walls remain, but large sections survive of the medieval walls that replaced the Roman structure. The medieval walls surrounded the entire city of Canterbury and were pierced by eight gates, West Gate, North Gate, Quenin Gate, Burgate, Newingate, Riding Gate, Worth Gate, and London Gate. Of these, only West Gate remains.

The largest of the medieval gates was Riding Gate, which took traffic from the Dover road.

Near Burgate, there is another tower, now converted to use as the Zoar Chapel.

This is the Westgate, with its enormous defensive towers. This stands where the main road from Dover exited the city towards London.

West Gate Tower was erected by Archbishop Sudbury in 1380. It did nothing to increase his popularity; he was murdered by rioting peasants the following year. The West Gate is historically important as it represents one of the first defensive structures built with the use of gunpowder and artillery in mind. It uses keyhole gunports to create opportunities for cannon fire from a well-defended position.

For many years the West Gate served as the town prison, connected by a walkway to the police station next door. Above the portcullis slot is a 'condemned cell', where prisoners awaiting execution were held. The prison has now been converted into an atmospheric restaurant, and the prison cells are beautifully-furnished booths.

A bronze 18th-century medallion was found beneath the floorboards of the prison floor during recent repairs.

The upper floor of the gatehouse is given over to a small West Gate Museum. Here you will find armour and weapons used by defenders of Canterbury from the medieval period to World War II. Children can dress up in replica armour, and see the old prison cells within the gatehouse tower. You can climb to the top of the tower for amazing views over the city and down onto the River Stour.

It is remarkable to think that several 19th-century prisoners managed to escape from the West Gate Tower by leaping from the roof. It's not something I'd like to try!

The above picture shows the famous inn that lies just outside the city walls - the Falstaff Inn. It was built in 1403 as a hostel for wayfarers. In 1783 it took the present name after Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. 

Originally the inn was used by pilgrims who arrived at the city gates after curfew, when the city gates were closed for the night.

In the Second World War, the inn was hit by 26 incendiary bombs. Only one penetrated the roof, but found the iron-hard beams too tough to compete with, only a small amount of damage being done.

On the front of the hotel is a sign stating it was established in 1403, but it has been heavily restored over the centuries. In the 16th and 17th centuries we know it was the “White Hart” from the accounts of the wardens of the Holy Cross church adjacent to Westgate who mention that vestry meetings were held there (The vestry was the lay governing body of the parish in the 16th and 17th centuries). The building underwent extensive renovation during the 17th and 18th centuries including an entrance for horse drawn carriages to the rear courtyard where there was access to a Tap public house for the ostlers and servants on North Lane . In 1783 it was renamed the Falstaff Inn, no doubt to exploit the rising popularity of  Shakespeare’s fat, vain, boastful, and cowardly knight who first appeared in “The History of Henry IV”. The building was listed in 1949 and in the 1990’s the Tap and an old wood mill building were converted to provide more bedrooms.

Due to its position just outside the city gates the inn has served as a convenient starting point for a number of “sporting feats”. In September 1787 a Mr Foster Powell then aged 51 was bet 25 guineas (£1600 in today’s money) that he could not walk from Canterbury to London Bridge and back (112 miles) in less than 22 hours. He succeeded with several minutes to spare. On 6th May 1819 a horse dealer named Mr Hutchinson wagered 600 guineas (£26,400 in today’s money) that he could ride to London Bridge in 3 hours with 11 changes of horse. He succeeded in a time of 2 hours 25 minutes.

The timber framed main building with a brick, mathematical tile and plaster facade containing the establishment date of 1403

There is an incredible amount of information about the Falstaff Hotel, on the Dover, Kent Archive. Here is the link:

Falstaff Hotel, Canterbury

Almost everything of importance is contained within these walls. Outside stands the Abbey of St. Augustine's, two universities, the Kent County cricket ground at St. Lawrence, and a small suburb called Thanington Without - meaning Thanington outside the city walls.

You very quickly realise that the whole city is divided into areas names either for a religious order that had its' church there, or a saint who was relative to Canterbury.

Thus you have Greyfriars, Whitefriars, Blackfriars, St. Augustine's, St. Martin's, St. Gregory's, St. Dunstan's, St. George's, St. Peter's etc.

The Stour is divided into two arms which flow through the city. One arm flows outside the city wall, forming an extra defence, and the other flows right through the middle of the city

Along the riverside running from the Westgate Towers along Pound Lane, are several majestic old buildings, which are deserving of further examination at a later date. 

The main shopping area is not just the High Street, which is actually quite short, but St. Peter's Street and St. George's Street, which traverse from the Westgate Towers in a straight line across to where the Eastgate used to stand - now just a gap in the wall, as is the area of the Southgate. At Northgate, the wall has disappeared all together.

This is St. Peter's Church, which dates back to the 12th. century.

The medieval church of St. Peter the Apostle is one of only two Anglican churches within Canterbury's historic City Walls that survives in religious use today. Apart from Canterbury Cathedral, the only other Anglican church within the city walls to still be used for public worship is St. Mildred's. There are Roman Catholic, Methodist and URC churches, plus a Quaker Meeting House still active within the walls; but at least ten Anglican churches have been and gone. The historic churches of St. Paul's, St. Dunstan's and St. Martin's, plus the 20th century St. Mary Bredin and All Saints congregations, not forgetting Canterbury Baptist, all lie outside the ancient medieval walls. 

St Peter's Church stands back from the bustle of Canterbury High Street, fronted by a small garden that seems to create an atmosphere of relative calm. The church is medieval, but its roots go back much further - the same can be said for much of Canterbury in truth. It is entirely possible that the medieval church was built on top of a very early church established for Christian citizens of Roman Canterbury.

That original Roman church was rebuilt by St Augustine in the late 6th or early 7th century and was rebuilt once more in the late 11th century. The tower incorporates sections of Roman tile and Saxon cornerstones. That same tower houses a set of very ancient bells, dating respectively from 1325, 1430, 1599, and 1637.

In 1448 Henry VI gave Canterbury the right to elect a mayor. The 'Mayor-Making' ceremony was held here at St Peter's church. A special rest for the mayoral mace and sword can be seen within the church and many early mayors of Canterbury are buried within the church or in the churchyard.

The Weavers house stands on the banks of the other arm of the Stour, and claims to date back to 1500. There was an influx of Flemish and Huguenot weavers who settled in the area after fleeing from religious persecution during the 16th and 17th centuries. Elizabeth I granted the Flemish weavers the right to establish their businesses in Canterbury, and they are known to have used this and other similar buildings nearby.

Despite the date 1500 which can be seen prominently displayed above the door, this house probably dates back to at least the 14th century. The current building largely dates to a reconstruction in the second half of the 16th century, not the first, as you might assume by the sign! Originally built as one house, it is now divided into three.

At the rear of the Old Weavers House is a medieval ducking stool, jutting out over the river. This ducking stool was historically used as a method of punishing 'scolds' - women accused by their husbands of talking back too much! The stool may also have been used as a more severe punishment for suspected witches. The suspected witch was dunked under the water and held there for several minutes. If she (it was usually a female) did not drown, she was proved a witch. If she drowned, at least her name was cleared!

Pilgrims began descending in large numbers on Canterbury in the decades immediately following the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170. So many pilgrims, in fact, that Edward FitzOsbern was moved to establish St Thomas Hospital on the East Bridge on Canterbury's busy High Street.

The link to Becket did not stop there, for the first Master of the Hospital was probably Becket's nephew, Ralph.

The Hospital declined over the next century or so until it was re-founded in 1324 by Bishop Stratford. The next century saw St Thomas's prosper, and at the time of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales it was at the height of its wealth. The Master of Eastbridge Hospital was not just responsible for running the Hospital, he also had to maintain East Bridge itself.

The Eastbridge, or the Hospital of St. Thomas the Martyr, Eastbridge to give it its full name, is not a hospital as we use the word today. It was, and is still a hospital in the original sense of the word, a place of hospitality. 

The Dissolution of the Monasteries indirectly affected St Thomas, when Becket's shrine was destroyed and the number of pilgrims dropped.In 1569 a school was established at the Hospital, and this continued for almost 300 years. 

Then in 1584, an act of Parliament changed St Thomas's remit completely; it was ordered to offer accommodation for 10 poor residents of Canterbury and to provide a dole payment to 10 more.

The Eastbridge Hospital still continues as an almshouse to this day and houses elderly people with a strong connection to Canterbury.

The Beaney Institute, or the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, as it is now known,  is thecentral museum, library and art gallery of the city of Canterbury. It is housed in a Grade II listed building. Until it closed for refurbishment in 2009, it was known as the Beaney Institute or the Royal Museum and Art Gallery.

There is a new statue outside the Beaney Institute. Meet Aphra Behn - 

Aphra Behn was an English playwright, poet, prose writer and translator from the Restoration era. As one of the first English women to earn her living by her writing, she broke cultural barriers and served as a literary role model for later generations of women authors. 

Rising from obscurity, she came to the notice of Charles II, who employed her as a spy in Antwerp. Upon her return to London and a probable brief stay in debtors' prison, she began writing for the stage. Behn wrote under the pastoral pseudonym Astrea. During the turbulent political times of the Exclusion Crisis, she wrote an epilogue and prologue that brought her legal trouble; she thereafter devoted most of her writing to prose genres and translations. A staunch supporter of the Stuart line, Behn declined an invitation from Bishop Burnet to write a welcoming poem to the new king William III. She died shortly after.

Queen Elizabeth's Guest Chambers. All visitors to Canterbury should visit these historic rooms with their beautiful Renaissance ceilings. Open to the public for free. The ornamental plasterwork on the front of the building was done in 1698. The date of 1573 on the front of the building, refers to the time Queen Elizabeth I reputedly stayed here

You see people walking down the street here, busy looking at their mobile phones, and never

looking above their heads at the wonderful details they are missing...............

The Buttermarket, and the City War Memorial. 

This square is more than 800 years old. The name Buttermarket was first used about 200 years ago, previously the name was `Bullstake'. Bulls were tied and baited with dogs, both for fun and also because it was believed that it made the flesh more tender. 

The Archbishop of Canterbury in 1921, who dedicated the War Memorial, was Randall Davidson.

There are so many listed 'Historic Buildings of Kent' in Canterbury. This is no.8 Palace Street, a 13th-century building with later additions. It may have been built as the rectory for the nearby church of St Alphege. The exterior is beautifully carved, with intricate floral and geometric designs rimming the jetties. The most intriguing features, however, are the carved brackets that support the jetties. These are in the shape of grinning demons, or grotesques, holding their bulging breasts in a pretty suggestive manner. Though one may be a female figure, the other is most definitely male

The Sun Hotel, formerly, in Dickens' time, the Little Inn. It was built in 1503 and stood empty for 40 years until Debenhams restored it.

There is information on the Dover Kent Archive, about bothe the Little Inn and the Sun Hotel. Here are the links:   

The Little Inn, Canterbury   

Sun Hotel, Canterbury  

Conquest House. On 29 December 1170 four knights, Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Moreville, William de Tracy, and Richard le Breton, met at a house near Canterbury Cathedral to plan what they would do on the morrow. Whatever plan they discussed, the result was the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, a deed which changed the course of history and certainly changed the fortunes of Canterbury itself. The place where the knights met is reputed to be Conquest House on Palace Street.

At that time Conquest House was owned by a man called Gilbert the Citizen. The knights initially left their servants and weapons in Conquest House while two of their number entered Bishop's Palace by force and remonstrated with Becket, trying to get him to remove the excommunication he had placed over several of the king's supporters.

It was a lost cause from the start; Becket was too strong-willed to succumb to their threats. The knights returned to Conquest House and gathered their weapons. In the meantime, the archbishop's servants convinced him to retire to the cathedral. It was no use; the knights entered the cathedral, and after a further argument, killed Becket in the area now called The Martyrdom.    

Part of the King's School. King's is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year old pupils)It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It is Britain's oldest public school; and is arguably the oldest continuously operating school in the world, since education on the Abbey and Cathedral grounds has been uninterrupted since AD 597.

Initially, that school would have served primarily to train priests, but by the late 7th century the school had attained a reputation for learning that drew scholars from across Britain.In 1538 Henry VIII dissolved the abbey of St Augustine and Christ Church priory at Canterbury Cathedral. But in 1541 Henry established a new school, housed in many of the former monastic buildings surrounding the cathedral

Among the famous students who have attended King's School over the years are William Harvey, W. Somerset Maugham, Hugh Walpole, Christopher Marlowe, and John Tradescant.

Sir John Boys House (sometimes known as the Crooked House, King's Gallery, or Old Kings Shop) is a delightfully skewed 17th-century half-timbered building at the extreme end of Palace Street, with projecting jetties onto Palace and King Streets.

The house is named in memory of Sir John Boys, an MP and the first recorder of Canterbury (d. 1612). The most noticeable feature is the front door, which has had to be built with severely skewed corners to fit the door frame.

The house reputedly gained its markedly skewed look after alterations to an internal chimney caused the structure to slip sideways. Attempts to rectify the slippage actually caused the whole structure to skew further sideways, though now the building is stabilised internally by a steel frame

The Bell And Crown, opposite King's in Palace Street has apparent scant regard for the staff of King's!

More information about the Bell & Crown can be found on the Dover, Kent Archive. Here is the link:

Bell & Crown, Canterbury

Henry III granted the Black Friars land on an island in the River Stour. Here they built their new friary. There are only two buildings of the friary remaining; the guest hall and the former rectory, this, which is now used by Kings College art centre.

Henry III granted the Black Friars land on an island in the River Stour. Here they built their new friary. There are only two buildings of the friary remaining; the guest hall and the former rectory, this, which is now used by Kings College art centre.

Blackfriars consists of the remains of a 13th-century friary on the banks of the River Stour. Blackfriars was founded around 1237 by Dominican monks, whose black surcoat gave them the popular monicker 'Black Friars'. Henry III granted the Black Friars land on an island in the River Stour. Here they built their new friary. There are only two buildings of the friary remaining; the guest hall (this building) and the former rectory, which is now used by Kings College art centre, features elsewhere in this article.

Picture taken from the bridge between the Marlowe and the Friends' Meeting House (Quakers). The minaret-looking tower in the centre of the picture, is called the Alchemist's Tower. You can only get to the outside of it by boat, but the interior can be reached from an old shop in Best Lane. 

Although 'improved' by the Victorians, it actually stands on a Roman site, and has medieval foundations.

It is actually a chimney, and inside you can still see the hearth. 

Boat and punt trips along this stretch of the river are very popular with the tourists. 

The Friends' Meeting house stands next to the bridge

The Cathedral towers above the city, and the City Council has wisely not permitted any high-rise buildings to obscure it. 

This is a statue of  lovely Dave Lee, a long time starring dame in pantomimes at the Marlowe. He sadly died at the young age of 64, having made over two million pounds to give disadvantaged children in Kent and their families a holiday. He was awarded the Freedom Of The City posthumously, so if you see his ghost wandering the streets, have a laugh with him! He'd enjoy that!

This is the Bulkhead statue by Rick Kirby

The Marlowe theatre. It's not a very big auditorium, and some areas have viewing issues, but the acoustics are good. We go every year to the concert by Jools Holland's R&B Orchestra, and delight in the amazing Ruby Turner as she rocks the roof off!

The statue to Christopher Marlowe. Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights being Shakespeare’s most important predecessor in English drama, who is noted especially for his establishment of dramatic blank verse. 

In 1593 Marlowe was killed by Ingram Frizer, in the dubious company of Nicholas Skeres and Robert Poley, at a lodging house in Deptford, where they had spent most of the day and where, it was alleged, a fight broke out between them over the bill.

The Sidney Cooper Gallery. What's it famous for?

Well, see this plaque; and if, like me, you grew up when Rupert was more famous than Paddington, you'll be thankful for the Sidney Cooper Gallery! 

Mary was the daughter of the Caldwell Family, who were engaged in restoring the windows of Canterbury Cathedral. She married Herbert Tourtel who worked for the Daily Express. Through her husband, Mary was asked to create a new children's character, and the first Rupert story was printed in the Daily Express in 1920. A Rupert Bear annual has been printed every year since 1936. It was something I looked forward to each Christmas, and I think it has a great deal to do with my love of poetry.! 

Mary is buried in the graveyard of St. Martin's church.

The Masonic Temple - just a very ordinary building

just random  views................

There is more information about the Black Griffin on the Dover, Kent Archive site. For a short while, from 1999 to 2010, it was called The Hobgoblin. In 2010 it reverted to its' original name. Here are the links:

The Hobgoblin, Canterbury

Black Griffin, Canterbury

Geoffrey Chaucer held a number of Government posts in his lifetime but is, of course, best known for The Canterbury Tales, a bawdy collection of 24 stories told by a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. 

This page from a medieval book, is the beginning of the 'Knight's Tale'

On the base, is a list of the actors who appeared in the film of the 'Tales' The 9th. one down is a local boy made good!

These two road signs go back to when the A2 road from Dover to London ran right through the middle of the city. Somehow they got overlooked and never removed. They're now a permanent part of the city history

Another war memorial - this one is specifically for the men of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry

Mercery Lane, which would normally give an impressive view of Christ Church Gate, the main entrance to the cathedral precincts. However. that's being refurbished at the moment. It is a rather nice sheet though!

This was formally St. Margaret's Church for the Deaf. Now it houses the Canterbury Tales Experience. All vey bawdy and naughty, but you do it with headphones on, and they have a dumbed down version for kids

Butchery Lane, where the name speaks for itself.

He's watching you...........................

This lamp hangs in the middle of Mercery Lane

Boots the Chemists use to have a very large shop at the top. It's now long gone, but there is still a 'ghost' sign on the front of the building.

Right, now to my favourite part of the City - the wonderfully peaceful Greyfriars. All that's left of the priory is the small chapel spanning the river. The rest has been turned into an amazing medieval garden, which features fruits such as quince and medlar, vegetables, and medicinal herbs. The lady gardener that was there today, was only too pleased to chat and discuss the plants. It's an area of  medieval history I'm really keen on.

St. Francis of Assisi - who was not the founder of the Franciscan order. The founder was one Francesco Bernadone, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. Greyfriars in Canterbury was the first Franciscan house in England, founded in 1224. 

Greyfriars Chapel is the only remaining part of a Franciscan friary established in 1267. Greyfriars (named for the grey habits of the Franciscan order of monks) was the first Franciscan monastery in England. The friary was established on an island site granted by the master of Poor Priest's Hospital. In 1263 a further grant of land on the far bank of the river allowed the friary to expand, and it eventually grew to take in 18 acres.

It is not clear what the original function of the two-story chapel building was; it may have been an infirmary or residence, but despite the name it was almost certainly not a chapel. It has, however, become a consecrated building and now hosts regular services. In 2003, fully 465 years after they left, Franciscan brothers returned to Canterbury, and today they live in nearby cottages and work in the city centre parish and Eastbridge Hospital, and worship in this old chapel building.

When I lived in Canterbury, all those years ago, Greyfriars was accessed by a path that ran through the Postal Sorting Office, and it was free to all. Sadly, it was much abused and the little chapel suffered severe vandalism.

You now have to access it from a little shop in St. Peter's Street, and access will cost you £6. You do get a nice little visitor guide, and the money goes to the upkeep and regular patrols by a security firm. £6 is really not a lot to pay to ensure that the work they are doing will preserve some important historical knowledge

The Visitor guide is a mine of information - way too much to repeat here. Go to Canterbury, pay your £6, and get a copy for yourself!

Back to St. Peter's, and high up on one corner is a plaque marking the site of the long-gone Black Friar's Gate, which presumably was the entrance to the Blackfriars priory

Martyrs Field. During the reign of Mary I - known primarily as 'Bloody Mary' - she went on a mission to eradicate her father's religion, the Church of England. Anybody who wouldn't renounce that faith and return to catholicism was arrested and burnt as the stake as an heretic. 

Kent wasn't exempt from this barbarism. There were two martyrs in Ashford and two more in Wye. There were 41 in Canterbury - the very heart of the Church of England. In a little street in Wincheap, just outside the city walls, an impressive monument stands on the site of the ghastly fires.

The 41 men and women who bravely stood firm for their faith are listed on the base of the cross that stands in the small Martyrs Field Memorial Garden.

Today I had an appointment at the Kent & Canterbury Hospital, which is a huge sprawling complex with no accident and Emergency facilities. I was actually quite looking forward to it, as I lived in Canterbury for a while and my son was born in what is known as the '1937 Building' of the hospital.

I have fond memories of a beautiful Art Deco building, with a central lobby full of gleaming polished wood. What a disappointment! It still shows its Deco heritage, but is really in need of a  sympathetic touch-up to the exterior. Inside it is as clean and sterile as all the other hospitals, but gone is the polished wood and creaky staircase. But at least it has kept its avenue of conker trees!

After a suitable site on land formerly belonging to St Augustine's Abbey had been identified, the foundation stone for the Kent and Canterbury Infirmary was laid by Sir Edward Knatchbull in June 1791. It was completed in September 1793 and extended in 1829, 1838 and 1871.

The rebuilt hospital, which was designed in the Art Deco style, was opened by the Duke of Kent in 1937. The hospital was considerably expanded in the 1960s, and there is now a huge modern extension. Luckily, the '1937 Building' has been left as a separate entity.

As it was...............................

High on the wall of an American Pancake House called Cafe Chambers, which stands at the junction of Palace St. and Sun St. is a picture of the Mayflower.

Next to the Westgate Towers stands Holy Cross Church, which is now the Canterbury Guildhall. As such, I couldn't access it today.

The Church of the Holy Cross near the Westgate, had been commissioned by Archbishop Simon Sudbury and completed before his death in 1381. The design of the church, which originally formed part of the St Gregory's Priory, involved a nave, a chancel and two aisles, and there was a square tower facing northwest towards the River Stour.

After the church was declared redundant and de-consecrated in 1972, it was acquired by the city council and converted for municipal use: it was officially re-opened by the Prince of Wales as the new Guildhall and meeting place of the city council on 9 November 1978. In May 2021, the city council announced aspirations to secure funding for a scheme which would link the guildhall with other heritage assets in the immediate area such as Westgate and would also involve the council chamber becoming a visitor attraction.

It would appear these works are underway............

The House of Agnes is a beautiful half-timbered medieval coaching inn just outside the old city walls of Canterbury. It takes its name from the character Agnes Wickfield, in the novel David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. Dickens set several scenes from the novel in this inn, which dates to the 13th century.

The House of Agnes stands directly on the route followed by generations of medieval pilgrims making the journey to the shrine of St Thomas a Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

The inn stands on the site of a Roman cemetery and pottery kilns. Behind the inn is the largest walled garden in Canterbury, and a heritage-listed maze.

Renovations at the House of Agnes in 2005 unearthed a rare find; a late 14th-century navigational instrument called an astrolabe, or quadrant. The 'Canterbury Quadrant' as it became known, is now on display at the British Museum in London. It is one of only 8 examples in the world.

The Roper Gate is a decorated 16th-century gateway that once provided an entrance to Place House, home of William Roper and his wife, Margaret Roper, daughter of Sir Thomas More. The gate is a wonderful example of decorative Tudor brickwork. Nothing now remains of Place House beyond the gateway.

The gate is a four-centred arch, surmounted by a stepped gable rising in five levels. The gable is pierced with a three-light window, above which is a small roundel window. The gateway is further decorated with diamond 'diapering'.

When More was executed for treason by Henry VIII, Margaret Roper was granted permission to take her father's head. This head she stored in the Roper family vault in St Dunstan's Church, just a few yards further along St Dunstan Street, where it became a destination for pilgrims, particularly following More's elevation to sainthood in 1935.

St Alphege's Church was built around 1070 by Archbishop Lanfranc. It was rebuilt in the 12th century, and again in the 13th and 15th centuries.

Thomas Cushman was married at St Alphege's. Cushman was responsible for hiring the Mayflower, the ship which took the Pilgrims to America in 1620. Cushman himself followed in 1621, but eventually returned to Britain, and died in Canterbury in 1625.

It is now used by King's School, and the interior is not generally open to the public.

St Alphege was an 11th-century Archbishop of Canterbury. When Danes under Earl Thorkell invaded in 1011 they took Alphege captive. The witan (council) agreed to pay the Danes £84,000, a huge sum in those days, to leave.

The Danes wanted an extra £3000 to free Alphege, but the Archbishop urged his countrymen to refuse the ransom. The Danes killed Alphege in a rage by throwing beef bones at him. He was eventually buried in Canterbury Cathedral, near the high altar. 

St Dunstan's church is a place of worship and pilgrimage which has been welcoming visitors and pilgrims from around the world for more than 800 years.

St Dunstan's patron is Dunstan, a former Archbishop of Canterbury and who many consider to be one of England’s greatest saints. St Dunstan's Church was founded by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, at the end of the 11th century. It was certainly the first in England to be dedicated to St Dunstan.

You enter St Dunstan's by way of the 17th-century south porch. Nearby is the vestry, initially a chapel founded in 1330 by Henry de Canterbury, chaplain to Edward III.

Also at the west end is the font, a plain design that probably dates to the early medieval period. It is surmounted by an elaborate 15th-century wooden cover. Beside the font is an attractive ancient wooden chest for storing parish documents and other valuables.

St Nicholas Chapel (The Roper Chapel) is the highlight of any visit to St Dunstan's. It was created in 1402 as a chantry for 'John Roper, his parents, friends, and benefactors'. It is unusual in that it uses brick for a late Gothic structure, unlike the more common stone.

The Roper family vault is beneath the chapel floor, and it is here that the head of St Thomas More is stored. Above ground is the altar table, a fine Elizabethan piece of furniture.

I couldn't gain access to the vault today, but luckily, there are photos in the Roper Chapel. There are more memorials to the Roper Family in the chapel, and some attractive stained glass.

On The South side of this Chancell are 2 very Ancient Altar Tombs, let into the Wall, which have both had Brasses on them, now lost. And 6 Ancient flat Stones on the Floor, wch. have also all been inlaid with Figures, Coats armorial etc. except 1, wch. however has no Inscription (this one = a plain slab).

The church isn’t just a beautiful medieval building within the city of Canterbury, it’s also historically important because of two significant historical events. Chronologically, the first event followed the murder in 1170 of Thomas Becket, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury Cathedral by two knights loyal to King Henry II. Henry, realising his overheard cursing of Becket prompted the knights to kill, came to Canterbury in an act of public penance for the Archbishop’s death. The king travelled from London to Canterbury, stopping at St Dunstan’s Church, just short of the ancient city wall. And it was at St Dunstan’s on 18 July 1174, King Henry donned penitential garments, and removed his shoes. From here he walked barefoot to Becket's cathedral where he was scourged by the monks.

Three and a half centuries later and St Dunstan's once more played a part in the nation's history. Thomas More, Lord High Chancellor of England from October 1529 to 16 May 1532 in the reign of Henry VIII, was executed in 1535 for his refusal to bow to Henry VIII's claim to be head of the church in England.

After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, More was convicted of treason and beheaded. His head was placed on a pike on London Bridge. More’s daughter, Margaret Roper, who lived almost opposite St Dunstan's Church, rescued her father’s head from London Bridge and brought it to Canterbury. It was interred in a crypt within the church’s Roper Chapel where it safely resides to this day.

In 1935 More was canonised, and St Nicholas' chapel became a place of pilgrimage. The More family home stood opposite the church where its brick gateway (Roper Gate) may still be seen. 

The nave is absolutely full of floor slabs and wall monuments. Plus this attractive hatchment.

and this unusual artwork of swifts

Near this Place lieth the Body of Daniel HALL, twice mayor of ye City of Canterbury. His first Wife was Leah RIGDEN who, with her 3 Children lyes buried under this Place. By his Second Wife Sarah SAFFERY, he had 2 Sons; Daniel and Samuel. He was a Loving Husband, an indulgent Parent, and an impartial Magistrate. 

His son Daniel became a respected pharmacist and surgeon, but died aged just 24.

On a Flat Stone, nearly under ye Mont. with the same Coat. Burial Place, design’d for the Family of Mr Claude RONDEAU, Merchant at Canterbury, Refugee in England, for the Protestant Religion. Here lieth the Body of John James RONDEAU his eldest Son, deceased the 18th Day of March 1703/4. Aged 22 Years. Here also lieth the Body of the said Claudius Rondeau, who departed this Life the 12th of Nov. 1720. Aged 72 Years. Likewise, Mary BUCK his Daughter, Wife of Mr William Buck of London who died Nov. 3 1743. Aged 51 Years. And Anne, Wife of the aforesaid Claudius Rondeau, who departed this Life the 19 Jany. 1744. Aged 84 Years. Here also lieth Sarah the Wife of Fran ALKIN of Lewes, Gent, and Daughter of the abovesaid Claudius Rondeau, who departed this Life 11 Dec. 1751. Aged 56.

On the Wall near the Belfrey, on a very neat Oval Monument, with the following Inscription and Coat. [Az. on a fesse engrld. arg. 3 serpent-like coils gu. and in base a sun or]. Near this Place, lies interr’d the Body of Claudius RONDEAU Esq., His Majesty’s Resident at the Court of Russia from the Year 1730 to the year 1739. He was born 28 March 1695 and died at Petersburg Oct. 5 1739. This Monument was erected to his Memory, by his Widow Jane, Daughter of the Revd. Mr GOODWIN, & Relict of Thomas WARD Esq., Son to the late Ld. cheif Baron Ward. Here also lies interr’d His Posthumous Daughter, Claudia Rondeau, born May 8 1740 and died the 31st of the same Month.

Second Lieutenant, 8th Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Died of wounds received at Lens. Son of the Rev. Charles Augustus and Mary Jane Manley, of St. Dunstan's Vicarage, Canterbury, Kent. Awarded the Military Cross. Age: 20

Also: his brother, Frederick Edward Manley, died 1902 and buried in Nazareth, Palestine.

Here lyeth the Body of Drayton Roberts, late of this Parish, Gent. Son of Edward Roberts Esq. He married Joanna Daughter of Joseph Roberts Esq; and had Issue by Her, 7 Sons, and 4 Daughters. Joseph, Drayton, Edward, William, John, Tiddeman, Thomas, Eliz-Joanna, Eliz-Joanna, Ely-Anne, Ely-Anne. 4 of them, viz. Joseph, Eliz-Joanna, Ely-Anne, & Thomas, died before their Father. He departed this Life Sept. 29th 1712 in the 40th Year of his Age. Joseph the Son died Feby. 12th 1710/11 in the 13th Year of his Age.

Here lye The Bodies of Thomas SCRANTON, Esq and Elisabeth his Wife by whom he had 1 Daughter Elisabeth Scranton who died the 16th Day of January 1719/20. At whose Desire and Charge this Stone was laid In Memory of her Death.

Rev. John Bowes Bunce, vicar of here and of Sheldwich, and Master of Eastbridge Hospital. Died 1850, and his Brother-in-Law, John Backhouse Pratt, late Major of the 7th. Bengal N.L., also his son, John Bowes Bunce, chaplain R.N.

William Dixon Cowper Corporal 8th. Queen's Royal West Surrey Regt., who died of wounds in France July 1st. 1916 aged 20 years. Born 1896 in Guadalupe, Pacasmayo, Peru, South America to parents Spencer Chaloner & Gertrude Dixon Cowper nee Green. Corporal G/3044 with 8th Royal West Surrey Regiment awarded Victory & British War Medals [UK WW1 Service Medals & Awards Rolls 1914-1920]. Buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, Calais, France

Now, hands up who's never heard of The Wanhsein Incident? Nope me neither. IN MEMORY OF CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK RIDGE LIEUTENANT ROYAL NAVY, H.M.S. COCKCHAFER, KILLED IN ACTION AT WANHSIEN, CHINA, SEPTEMBER 5TH 1926, AGED 26 YEARS. MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES.

Enough there to tempt me into looking it up. I don't want to just copy somebody else's hard work, so here's a link to the full account. 

Wanhsein Incident

St. Mary Magdalene church is now reduced to just a tower, standing on Burgate, in front of the Catholic church of St. Thomas. The church was pulled down in 1871 after it had become ruinous. The tower is a 1503 rebuilding of an earlier medieval structure.

In a specially built display area at the base of the tower is a fanciful Baroque memorial to the Whitfield family

The monument is screened off with glass, which makes it very hard to photograph on a sunny day.

Beside the tower, in the area formerly occupied by part of the old church, is a pleasant garden area, behind which is the 19th-century Catholic church of St. Thomas of Canterbury.

The clock tower is all that remains of the medieval church of St George the Martyr. The church is best known as the place where the Canterbury native, playwright Christopher Marlowe was baptised on 26 February 1564.

Recent archaeological excavations have discovered a late Iron Age or early Roman ditch beneath the church.

When the nearby church of St Mary Magdalene in Burgate was largely demolished in 1872, St George's was expanded to take in the extra parishioners. However, this enlarged church of St George was not destined to last, as the church was badly damaged by German bombs on 1 June 1942 in a 'Baedecker raid'. That same raid totally destroyed the nearby house in which Christopher Marlowe was born.

The remains of the church were demolished in 1955, but the tower was saved to stand as a historic landmark.

There are two plaques attached to the exterior wall of St George's Tower. One commemorates the church's connection with Christopher Marlowe, while the other marks the 50th anniversary of the Baedecker raid that destroyed the rest of the church.

There are several 18th-century grave slabs set into the tower floor.

St. Thomas of Canterbury Catholic church - although it is open every day, when I visited, they were holding a Mass, and so I left quietly and will return at a more suitable time. So for now, it's just exterior shots I'm afraid.

The Westgate gardens follow the course of the Roman city wall. There are no traces of the wall today, for during the Civil War the walls were destroyed and the stone plundered for building projects.. At the northern end of the gardens is the historic West Gate to the city, and the Guildhall.

South of the Guildhall is Tower House, an early Victorian building owned by the City Council. This was formerly owned by Catherine Williamson, the first female mayor of Canterbury. After her death, the house was presented to the city, and it now houses the Mayor's offices.

In the gardens is an old medieval archway which may have been brought here from the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey.

This stretch of land along the Stour has a long history as a garden; in the 15th century there were no less than five gardens and a hay meadow here. There was constant bickering and several court cases between the residents and the Prior of Christ Church over ownership of the land.

In 1500 the Mayor and residents seized the area by force. They were charged and tried before the Court of Star Chamber. The mayor and his adherents made sure of winning their case by spending lavishly to bribe lawyers, and the case was decided in the city's favour!

In 1641 Cromwell's army destroyed the last surviving bit of city wall within the garden.

The gardens themsleves are delightful - even the resident ducks are well-mannered. 

The old London Plane tree.

Further south along the river are two memorials, the Burma Star Memorial and the Italy Star Memorial. The Burma Star Memorial remembers those who fell in the Burma campaign of 1941-45. It was erected by the Canterbury and District branch of the Burma Star Association and stands in a small memorial garden.

A stone's throw away is the Italy Star Memorial, erected in memory of the 18,000 Commonwealth soldiers who lost their lives in the Italian campaign of 1943-45. It was erected by the Italy Star Association.

If these two memorials are relatively recent, the next historic site is quite a bit older; near the park's southern boundary two parallel series of stones across the path mark the course of the Roman road of Watling Street, which crossed the River Stour here. The actual Roman road is buried a metre under the ground level, but an area of stone 'metalling' is exposed beside an information panel.

The Westgate Gardens lead to Toddlers Cove - a playground for children, and from there the path goes under the ring road via Tannery Green, to Westgate Park, then onto Hambrook Marshes. Today, I concentrated on just the gardens. There is just so much to see.

There is an area of raised beds which contain medicinal herbs. Each bed has plants grouped together according to which parts of the body they will help, with explanatory boards.

 

A beautiful board of engraved tiles, respecting still-born children

The underpass under the busy ring road is a riot of colour

Now for the section of odds and ends to be found around the city centre...........

This is the Unicorn pub in St. Dunstans. Tripadvisor has it that 'The Unicorn is a gem! Their pickled eggs are a delightful surprise—tangy, perfectly spiced, and a must-try for anyone visiting. Great vibe and unique menu!'

First built in 1593 as a house for Robert Budden who was a woollen drayper of Canterbury. He also owned two other properties in the city. When sold by his widow in 1638, a leather merchant called Solomon Buesden bought and sold hides from the house for many years. Solomon died in 1661 and the family business went to his son Isaac, however in 1664 he applied for a licence to sell ales from the premises. It was only known as an ale house in St. Dunstans. When Isaac died in 1692, his brother Jacob took on the ale house and registered the house under the name “The Unicorn”

And so it goes - the pub changed hands, changed breweries, and at one pont, even changed names to The Star, but then reverted to The Unicorn. It was even at one point known as a 'bawdy house'.

Since 1995, the Unicorn has been owned/supplied by the PubCo, Enterprise Inns.

There is more information, under both names, on the Dover Kent Archive. Just click the links

The Stag, Canterbury

The Unicorn, Canterbury

I do so love to see the trend of street art. This one is particularly pretty

The Huguenot weavers had a huge presence in Canterbury. They had their own graveyard, and their own chapel in the Cathedral. Everywhere in the city, you can spot the long windows that let the light in onto the looms. The next few pictures are all of weavers' cottages.

The Arora Family is a British company with significant interests in property. Spotted their logo high up on a wall near the Zoar chapel.

The Canterbury Plum Pudding Riots of 1647

In 1647, there were multiple riots related to the Puritan government's ban on Christmas, including the Canterbury Plum Pudding Riots:
On Wednesday, 22 December 1647 Canterbury's town crier proclaimed the suppression of Christmas Day under the ruling of a new Puritan government.
Celebrations and mince pies were banned and it was to be treated as any other working day during which shops must open. A shop keeper was put into the stocks for refusing to open and a large crowd gathered on Christmas Day to demand a church service, to be able to decorate doorways with holly bushes and to keep the shops shut.
This crowd – under the slogan "For God, King Charles, and Kent" – then descended into violence and a riot, with a soldier being assaulted, the mayor's house attacked and the city under the rioters' control for several weeks until they were forced to surrender in early January.

There were further riots in Norwich, Bury St. Edmund, and Ipswich. On Christmas Day, people in these cities defied the ban and tried to force shop owners to keep their stores closed.

Battle of Maidstone - The spirit of rebellion continued, leading to the Battle of Maidstone, where the Kent rebels were defeated by professional soldiers.
The Puritan government under Oliver Cromwell believed that Christmas was a Roman Catholic celebration that encouraged unnecessary celebration and debauchery. The ban on Christmas remained in force until the Restoration in 1660.