Guest Houses in Canterbury

Guest houses are ideal places to stay when visiting Canterbury because you can be near to the action without having to travel far to see what’s going on!  It’s a super city to visit, is near the countryside and only 17 miles from the sea.  There is so much to see that you could not possibly do it all in one day or even a weekend.

Canterbury is steeped in history with a couple of castles, six museums (including one for Rupert Bear!) just waiting for you to see.  The museums have loads of exhibits including some that are fun for all the family to try out!

The Canterbury Tales were written here by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th Century.  These are stories told by pilgrims on their way from Southwark, London, to visit the shrine of St.Thomas à Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. Thomas à Becket was murdered in the cathedral in 1170.

The Cathedral is a magnificent place and has peaceful surroundings where you can sit quietly and contemplate it’s grandeur.  It dates back to the 6th century and rises from the centre of the city and can be seen from most points around the town.  The West Gate Towers Museum provides one of the best views of the city.

St Martins’ church is in the south east of Canterbury and is the country's oldest parish church in regular use in the English speaking world.  Make time, too, to see the ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey, founded around 597AD and marks the beginning of Christianity in England.  There are peaceful grounds here and a museum, too.

Canterbury is a vibrant city and staying at a bed and breakfast here enables you to get out early to immerse yourself not only in the history and heritage that abounds, but also in the day to day life of this ancient city. If you’re looking for some retail therapy, you will find shops here catering for just about anything you’re likely to need during your stay.  It’s a great place to go shopping and then just sit and relax in a café with a cup of coffee after before returning to your guest house or bed and breakfast!

Talking of relaxing, the city seems to take on a new guise in the evenings as seemingly everyone sets out to see a show in one of the theatres in and around the city, such as The Marlowe Theatre or the Gulbenkian Theatre which is situated at the University of Kent, or maybe in a local cinema.  There are plenty of bars, pubs and restaurants to visit in Canterbury.

Canterbury Cathedral attracts pilgrims to this day and Chaucer’s stories are still widely read but how about visiting Canterbury yourself and writing your very own Canterbury Tales?