Canterbury is a cathedral city in Kent, England. It
overlooks the River Stour and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to wondrous
architecture and green spaces. It has a population of over 55,000, and the
predominant language spoken is English. Canterbury is twinned with several
cities including Reims (France), Esztergom (Hungary), Vladimir, (Russia),
Molndal (Sweden) and Tournai (Belgium).
Canterbury has a history dating back to prehistoric times.
The city was built by the Romans, who adorned it with new streets, a theatre, a
temple and public baths. In the years that followed, Canterbury became known
for its pottery, textiles and leather. During that time, Canterbury Castle was
built, and was captured by former French King, Prince Louis.
In the 18th century, Canterbury experienced
growth to its infrastructure. Canterbury prison was opened, along with Canterbury
and Whitstable Railway – which, at the time, was the world’s first passenger
railway. The city suffered heavily during World War 2, and took the best part of
50 years to properly recover.
In the last 20 or so years, Canterbury has experienced
considerable growth. Whitfriars shopping Centre was redeveloped and extensive
restoration was carried out on Canterbury Cathedral. Nowadays, the city is home
to over 4,000 businesses and has an economy worth more than £1.3 million. It is
home to two universities – the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church
University – and has low overall unemployment rates.
Attractions include Canterbury Cathedral, Christ Church
Gate, The Kent Museum of Freemasonry, St. Martin’s Church and Greyfriars Chapel
and Franciscan Gardens. For live productions, head to the Marlowe Theatre, and,
for nature, visit Howletts Wild Animal Park. Other points of interest are the Beaney
House of Art & Knowledge, and Canterbury Roman Museum.
Canterbury is easy to reach, and fairly straightforward to
commute around. It is served by the A2 road, which runs all the way from London
to Dover. The city has two railway stations – Canterbury East and Canterbury
West – which connect London, Ramsgate, Margate and Chatham. There is an hourly
coach service that runs to and from Canterbury, and the city is also served by
a number of buses. The closest airport to Canterbury is London City Airport, at
roughly 60 miles away.
Complete your trip to Canterbury with a stay in a SilverDoor
serviced apartment.
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