Canterbury Cathedral
Start your day by hopping off the train and visiting what Canterbury is most famous for (other than Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales): the Cathedral! But fear not Chaucer fans — there is a huge statue of the medieval bard along the way. The Cathedral lies just beyond a gorgeous archway surrounded by gift shops, including a store dedicated to rubber ducks and an off-brand Harry Potter paraphernalia shop. The Cathedral is usually free to enter, but on Sundays, you can stare wistfully at the flying buttresses outside and listen to the bells toll.
Wrapped Gift Shop
Down the road from the Cathedral is an independent tchotchke shop full of everything you could dream of to remember your medieval jaunt. From postcards to wrapping paper to animal-shaped mugs to duck umbrellas, this store is worth a visit. Don’t forget to check downstairs!
Kitch
After you realize the early morning croissant from Costa at Victoria Station is not enough to keep you full, head over to Kitch, a cafe on the main road. Allegedly, it’s so good that someone traveled over two hours just to eat there! The croque monsieurs are delish, but the melted cheese on top is so gooey that it will scald the roof of your mouth. It’s all worth it though! Definitely a great place for a quick lunch.
Canterbury Castle
Take a walk to Canterbury Castle, built during the medieval times along with Dover Castle. To maximize your experience, stand in a circle and read historical facts from Wikipedia in order to summon an elderly woman in an electric wheelchair. She will warn you of the falling masonry that has closed the castle and predict the “big dude” that is required to fix it. If you are still intrigued she will tell you of the mysteries the castle holds including the “fun” the king had with the townspeople, which she will leave you to decode.
Walking the Wall
After summoning the ghost of a medieval lady at the Castle (definitely a special friend of Henry I), continue walking along the city walls which overlook the Dane John Gardens. Who is Dane John? No one! It’s a corruption of the French donjon, meaning dungeon, and they just made it English back in the day. The park really embraces this silly name, with a small coffee shop named Don Juan keeping park-goers caffeinated. As you walk along the wall be sure to stop by Simmons Memorial on Dane John Mound. The memorial commemorates John Simmons who donated the money to improve the park area around the Dane John Mound. At the very top of the hill, you can look over the city with beautiful views of the Cathedral and the rolling countryside in every direction.
Pretty, Underrated Tree
Our friend was really impressed by this solitary tree tucked by a parking lot at the intersection of Canterbury Lane and Link Lane, so we decided it deserved its moment in the spotlight. We even walked up to it to see if there was a plaque, like the ruins of a church that memorialized dramatist Christopher Marlowe’s baptism. But alas, the tree was simply just a tree, and a beautiful one at that. It is the epitome of a lollipop tree. Just stunning. Plus there is a public restroom right next to it (although we can’t in good conscience recommend that unless it’s an emergency).
Crooked House
Known as one of the most photographed sites in Canterbury, the Crooked House is a must see before your journey home. The house now home to the Catching Lives Bookshop, is a relic of the 17th century and was built like many other Canterbury homes at the time with the first floor being the smallest and each floor getting progressively larger. You can stop to take a classic photo attempting to push the house back to its original position, but be sure to stop in a check out their gorgeous collection of Canterbury Tales postcards.
Garage Coffee Shop
When the inevitable 2 pm wave of exhaustion hits, head over to Garage for a quick pick me up and nap upstairs. They have a wide variety of coffees and sodas that will slowly cure your sleepiness, but in the meantime, you can enjoy the comfy couches that sit by the window, perfect for a view of the cathedral and street bunting.
The Beaney
After sipping on a latte and wondering how to kill four hours before your train leaves, meander the winding streets and admire the old architecture on your way to The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, a magnificent library and art museum. It follows the British tradition of displaying random artifacts and paintings that rich old men collected from around the world, including a Dastana arm guard— a piece of armor worn around the lower arm with two pistols and a blade that flips out—from the early 19th century. It was “more likely a novelty weapon made for European visitors,” but it feels very Assassin’s Creed.
The crown jewel of the collection is the display of classic British children’s TV show trinkets and merch. We learned about the iconic 3 British bears: Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, and Rupert (we don’t know who Rupert is but apparently he hung out with Paul McCartney a lot). We also met Bagpuss the cat (what a name) and the Clangers. Before leaving be sure to stop in the room next door to be forever traumatized by a collection of Chucky worthy dolls.
It also has the best free public toilets just fyi.
Westgate Park
For that aesthetic Instagram photo to prove you visited Canterbury, stop for a picnic or afternoon snack at Westgate Park. As you enjoy your food, you can marvel at the punters in the canal and watch the ducks and swans swim by. Although it’s not a lazy river, you can lounge for hours before catching your train.
All in all, we learned that you really shouldn’t go to Canterbury for 6 hours. Maybe 4. Unless you’re really passionate about churches and Chaucer. But really just the churches.
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