Canterbury Information

Canterbury Information

In 597 Augustine came to Canterbury, to convert the region back to Christianity. In recognition UNESCO granted world heritage status to part of the city, including, St Martin's Church, St Augustine's Abbey and the cathedral. The Norman cathedral still dominates the skyline as you approach Canterbury; giving 21st-century visitors the same sense of awe as their medieval counterparts. The city was one of the busiest places of pilgrimage in the medieval world and the Canterbury Tales Visitor Attraction takes you back to Chaucer's England and the shrine of Thomas Becket, the murdered archbishop. The Museum of Canterbury completes the story of the historic city with Invicta the engine that pulled the world's first passenger railway and the locally created characters Rupert Bear and Bagpuss.

Today Canterbury still welcomes visitors from all four corners of the globe and has, with its many ancient buildings, shops, bars and restaurants, retained both an old world charm and a cosmopolitan vitality. A small and compact city the centre is closed to traffic during the daytime so that streets and attractions may more easily and safely be accessed by walking trails or from April to October with a guided tour.