Canterbury: Home Of The Canterbury Tales And Much More

Canterbury is a cathedral city located in east Kent in South East England, founded as the Romano-Celtic town of Durovernum Cantiacorum. Canterbury is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England, head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It has also become a major tourist centre in South East England, lined with ancient buildings interspersed with modern building development. The city is also well-known as the backdrop of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1387).

Canterbury has a total population of about 42,258.

Canterbury West and Canterbury East are the two main railway stations, with services operated by Southeastern. Canterbury West is mainly served from London Charing Cross and trains to Ramsgate and Margate, while services from London Victoria stop at Canterbury East and continue to Dover. Bus services operate to most destinations in east Kent, and terminate at the main bus station at the end of the high street. Stagecoach Coaches is the main provider of bus travel. By road, Canterbury is by-passed by the A2 London to Dover Road, and the A28 from Ashford to Ramsgate and Margate.

A wide variety of restaurants and cafes, from low to mid range, serving different style of cuisine, can be found at Downtown Canterbury. The city is also well-known for its fine selection of pubs, offering several chain pubs, such as JD Wetherspoons, and numerous other late night venues. As for shopping, the Whitefriars development project has brought many new outlets into Canterbury, transforming it into a major shopping destination featuring designer shops such as GAP, Tescos, Top Man, Next etc.

The main tourist attractions in Canterbury include Canterbury Cathedral, which is famous as the scene of the murder of Thomas à Becket, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury; St Martin's Church, oldest parish church in England; Canterbury Castle, ruins of a Norman castle built in the 11th Century; Canterbury Tales Visitor Attraction, a stunning reconstruction of 14th century England inside the historic building of St Margaret's Church based on the tales and characters of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales; West Gate Tower, a small collection of material about the tower and the history of Canterbury; Canterbury Royal Museum and Art Gallery, a splendid Victorian building housing decorative arts and picture collections; Canterbury Roman Museum; Canterbury Environment Centre; and Greyfriars House Chapel and the Franciscan Gardens.

Canterbury has plenty of places to stay from small guest houses through to large hotels. You can find a wide selection ofplaces to stay in Canterbury at the 4Hotels.co.uk web site.

Canterbury is also host to some very popular festivals and events such as Canterbury Festival, featuring classical music concerts, drama and theatre performances, opera, art exhibitions, dance, jazz, folk and blues music, street entertainment, fireworks, children's events, walks, talks and films; Canterbury Euro Fair, a celebration of the flavours, sights and sounds of Europe in a three-day feast of food, drink, art, crafts and culture; St Nicholas Parade, an event in the City Centre to celebrate the true Father Christmas and Santa Claus; and Herne Bay Festival, a summertime festival family fun.