Townin' Around: A Pilgrim's Tale of Canterbury
by Anastasia Watkinson
Canterbury is one of England's most famous cathedral cities,
and nuzzles in a lovely corner of the Kent countryside. Its
beginnings date back to a Roman settlement, and was the site
of the establishment of Christianity in England when
Augustine came in 597AD. What brought visitors in droves,
and still brings them in droves today, was the murder and
subsequent canonisation of Archbishop Thomas a Becket in the
cathedral on the evening of 29 December, 1170. Geoffrey
Chaucer died before finishing his epic "The Canterbury
Tales," stories told by travellers making their pilgrimage
to the cathedral to Becket's shrine. To his I will add my
own tale.
The Pilgrim Arrives at Night
After a grueling car trip trying to get out of London (this
is NOT for the inexperienced, take the train or bus!), I
arrived at night in Canterbury to be greeted by the massive
and beautifully lit city walls and gates. I promptly got
lost due to my lack of preparation, incomprehensible
directions, and the fact that Canterbury's city center is
quite compact, thus full of pedestrianised areas and one-way
systems. There's also a good deal of construction going on.
On my handy mobile I rang the staff of The Slatter's Hotel,
where I had booked for the night. They were very helpful,
in fact, it has to be said... the manager actually ran out
of the hotel to come get me and lead me to the parking lot!
Check in was friendly and fast, but outside of the lobby and
restaurant areas, the hotel itself is tatty. If you own a
Fodor's or Rough Guide, make a note in your books now, as
these guide books made this hotel sound like the cat's meow.
It's not. Everything was clean, but the carpets were very
worn and the decor was 70s (and not a cool retro either) and
outdated.
Inside my room, I had a tiny TV, a window that would not
open, awful furniture, and a bathroom ceiling scarred with
obvious water damage. The room and bed were comfortable,
however, there was a "cheap B&B" feel about the room. The
room would have been okay had it not been for the £55.00 per
night price I paid.
Despite my disappointment with the room, I did get a good
night's sleep. I didn't get my wake up call though, or the
breakfast that was included in the cost of the room. As I
checked out, the clerk apologised about the call (she
forgot), gave me the pre-packaged continental breakfast to
take with me, and granted me permission to keep my car in
the parking lot until later. So at least service was good!
The Slatter's Hotel is very centrally located within the
city walls on St. Margaret's Street. For enquiries ring
44 (0)1227 463 271.
A Fine Day for a Pilgrimage
After a quick nosy in the Tourist Information Centre on St.
Margaret's Street (Enquiries: 44 (0)1227 766 567 or email:
101523.510@compuserve.com), my stomach led me to High
Street, the main thoroughfare through town. There I enjoyed
a nice breakfast of a muffin and some fresh fruit at Aroma
(34 High Street). You'll find a variety of fresh pastries,
sandwiches and caffeine of your choosing at this chain.
Aroma is a good bet for breakfast or lunch under a fiver, if
uninspired.
After breakfast, I had a stroll down the High Street, which
is filled with the standard British chain shops. At the far
end of High Street, where it's called St. Peter's Street
(all one street, just changes name a few times along the
way), you can see the massive West Gate, one of England's
finest medieval fortified gatehouses.
West Gate (St. Peter's Street, ring 44 (0)1227 452 747 for
enquiries) is now a small museum which has displays of
armor and arms. A group of schoolchildren were enjoying a
talk and the chance to try on some armor replicas while I
visited. Kids will likely enjoy making their own brass
rubbings here as well.
While the small collection is interesting, what I enjoyed
most while at West Gate Museum was the brilliant views of
Canterbury and the surrounding countryside from the top. Be
warned before you promise the kids! There are over 50 very
narrow, very winding stone steps to climb to reach the top.
Admission cost for adults is £1.00, 50p for children, and
65p for students and seniors.
If you are tired after your arduous climb, you may stroll
next door as I did to the West Gate Gardens, which are along
a path that runs by the river behind the Guildhall. I sat
and enjoyed the sunshine while preparing my day. I think
you'll find this to be a great place to relax or enjoy a
picnic lunch.
A good place to have a drink, snack or get your picnic
goodies is nearby at Cafe St. Pierre, at the West Gate end
of High Street. They do lovely pastries and sandwiches to
take away, or you may just want to enjoy your drink at the
cafe seating outside or in the garden in the back.
A leisurely wander around any of the side streets off of
High Street is bound to bring you nice surprises. One such
wander around a road called The Friars will bring you
directly to Marlowe Theatre. This god-awful, sky-marring
building is named after Canterbury's Elizabethan son
Christopher Marlowe, who is probably ashamed to have his
name associated with such a monstrosity. At any rate, the
Marlowe is Canterbury's venue for touring drama and opera,
and plays a large part in the two week October arts
festival.
Back on the High Street, you can not miss the medieval
Eastbridge Hospital (Enquiries: 44 (0)1227 471 688). This
12th century building acted as a hostel for weary travelers
who came to pay homage to the slain St. Thomas a Becket.
Today it still serves that purpose somewhat as most of the
building is a private retirement home. You may not feel the
admission price, though minimal, is worth seeing only the
undercroft, refectory and two chapels. I think it is worth
a quick 15 minute dash. Admission is £1.00 for adults, .50p
for children, and .75p for seniors and students.
The Pilgrim Approaches the Cathedral
After paying homage to the pilgrims hospice, I felt worthy
enough to head down Mercery Street and approach the great
cathedral. Not that you need directions, as the cathedral
can be seen from anywhere in town. Walking down through the
timber roof medieval buildings of Mercery Street, camera at
the ready, you can't miss the massive and ornate 16th
century Christ Church gate at the end.
You'll notice in front of Christ Church Gate, an expanse opens up in front of you as you reach Burgate (street). This core area, known as Buttermarket, used to be where religious relics were sold to pilgrims, who collected badges and other items to show their piety and as proof they'd been on the pilgrimage.
This Pilgrim is More Hungry Than Pious
Religion doesn't stand a chance against eating in my book, so I rambled down Burgate and hung a right on to Buchery Lane. On this street, you can still take cracking photos of
the cathedral, or if you like, have a look the Roman Museum. I decided to look at the outside of the museum while having something to eat at Patrick Casey's, an Irish Pub located
across the street from the museum. The museum may be a nice attraction for a trip to Canterbury, but this pilgrim hadn't the time.
At Patrick Casey's, I feasted on a scrumptious jacket potato (that's baked potato to you Yanks!) filled with beans and cheese, with a lovely fresh salad on the side. The fare was
much better than standard pub food, offering not only the usual pub grub but some nice Irish specialties as well. I feel this pub is a good pit stop for food or a quick pint.
Deciding to put off the cathedral until the morning, I checked into my new hotel, the Kingsbridge Villa B&B (15 Best Lane, ring 44 (0)1227 766 415 for inquiries). This B&B is also very centrally located, however, car park is very limited here, so be sure and check as you book if there is
space.
The room I received at Kingsbridge villa was small, but fresh and lovely - a huge improvement on that the one supplied by Slatter's Hotel. The management were friendly, but not overly bubbly, but friendly enough to give me a double room for the cost of a single room (£25.00 per night)
as the single room was let. Apparently, some of the rooms at this B&B have a cathedral view as well.
Having settled into my room, I had just enough time to do a little shopping and sightseeing. Heading back over to St. Margaret's Street, you'll find a variety of shops along this
street, including Waterstones (a large book shop chain), HMV (a large music store chain), and the Marlowe Arcade (full of more chain stores). Having a quick peruse, nothing really
caught my eye, so I decided that it was time to join the call of other pilgrims.
The Smells of the Pilgrim Trail
The Canterbury Tales (St Margaret's Street, ring 44 (0)1227
479 227 for inquiries) is meant to be an attraction that
brings Chaucer's poems to life in an educational, modern
language experience. You get to choose a language headphone
to hear the tales brought to life while you move throughout
the journey through different rooms. What you might not be
prepared for are the tributes to the smells of the journey.
Mmm...sewage and horse smells. Lovely.
The attraction is interesting, and I am certain kids will
find it a lot more entertaining than, say, the Chaucer
Centre or the Heritage museum. The best part of the
attraction is the actual tales themselves, although adults
may find the presentation a bit flaky. Admission costs
£5.50 for adults, £4.60 for children and seniors, and family
tickets are available for £17.50.
I finished off a great day by having a stroll along the
medieval walls and having popcorn for dinner while catching
a movie at the small cinema.
The Pilgrim Has Procrastinated Enough
Having a good night's sleep behind me, I awoke to a
homecooked breakfast at the B&B, opting for scrambled eggs
on toast instead of the traditional English fry-up.
Breakfast was cooked well, and what more can you say about
scrambled eggs? I ate it, checked out, and was soon on my
way to the cathedral.
The entrance to the cathedral is through the Christ Church
Gate. Once you've paid admission, the cathedral is upon you
in its full glory. The Christchurch Cathedral was the first
of the great Norman cathedrals, and while not the most
beautiful in England, is stunning and important in its own
right. Most of what you see today is the result of
alterations, the last major work being done in medieval
times.
You may want to purchase the informational booklet when you
buy your ticket (£1.50). This will help you understand all
the different areas there are to see within the church, and
help you put things in historical context. Look for the
spot where Thomas a Becket was murdered, St. Augustine's
chair, the spot where Saint Thomas was buried (before Henry
VIII plundered his tomb), and the tombs of Henry IV, his
wife Joan of Navarre, and the Black Prince's effigy.
If time permits, don't forget to stroll around the north
side outside and explore the cloisters, which are quite
pretty and peaceful. Admission to the church is £3.00, but
it is free on Sunday. I would allow at least two hours for
your visit.
Lunch and Fun in the Sun
Heading back to the High Street, I decided to have lunch at
a cafe table outside Marlowe's (55 St. Peters St.) I give
this restaurant my highest recommendation, as both the
service and food were quite good. I enjoyed a Mexican
chicken quesadilla salad while watching the world go by at a
hurried pace. Marlowe's offers standard British fare,
sandwiches, and meals with a Mexican touch.
Within viewing distance from Marlowe's, you'll find the
Weaver's House, which has been preserved and transformed
from its original use as a Huguenot home into a restaurant.
From April to October, Canterbury Historic River Tours
leaves from the garden of this restaurant. This trip is a
relaxing 30 minute row down the River Stour. The guides are
friendly, a good laugh, and make you feel welcome as they
point out various sights along the river. This was
definitely one of the highlights of my trip. The cost is
£4.50 for adults.
With the afternoon fading, I took a walk down Stour Street
and enjoyed a brisk walk through the Greyfriar's Garden.
From the garden, you can see the remaining portion of the
13th century building, which spans the river. Doubling
back, and noticing rain on the horizon, I chose to spend the
remainder of the afternoon at the Canterbury Heritage
Museum.
Housed in a former medieval hospital, the Heritage Museum
(20 Stour Street, ring (0)1227 452 747 for inquiries) is a
well-laid out trip through the history of Canterbury up to
present day. The museum houses many archaeological finds
and is very educational. I especially enjoyed the Roman
exhibit and WWII video. Kids will probably find the Rupert
the Bear exhibit the most fun. Adult admission is £2.40,
children pay £1.20 and seniors pay £1.60.
The Pilgrim Relaxes
Having explored Canterbury relentlessly, this pilgrim was
weary. The modern pilgrim should do what I did. I headed
straight to Riceman's department store (9 St. George's
Lane), made a beeline to the Clarins counter, and had a very
relaxing facial, shoulder and neck massage. Ahhhh! £25.00
for over an hour's bliss. I purchased a few relics of my
pilgrimage (okay, so they were Clarins' products, but this
is the year 2000), and having found my nirvana, was ready to
take on the world again.
This is the end of this pilgrim's tale. Should you decide to make the pilgrimage yourself, you'll find good bus and train connections to Canterbury from London, each taking
under two hours. Nervous drivers may want to leave their cars in a Park and Ride car park, which are found on the main approaches into town, and take the shuttle bus. Parking in Canterbury is very limited, especially in the summer, and there are a few pedestrianised and one way
roads.
Marks out of 10 for Canterbury overall: 8
Visit the website for the my photos from the trip!
http://www.greatbritaintravelguide.com
Ana's Top Tip!
* Ask for the free Visitor's Map and Accommodation Guide at
the Canterbury Tourist Information Centre. The map will
help you to easily navigate the town and give the hours of
all the major attractions. Or visit their web site at:
http://www.canterbury.co.uk
* For more information on services, food and accommodation
in Canterbury, you may also want to try the following web
site:
http://www.cantweb.co.uk
The author, Anastasia Watkinson, is the Editor of Great Britain Travel Guide, a fun and insightful resource for travel to England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. To read
more about her travels and subscribe to the free newsletter,
visit the web site at: http://www.greatbritaintravelguide.com
or send an email to: mailto:subscribe@greatbritaintravelguide.com
Anastasia, an American expatriate, has lived and worked in
England for over five years, and is the Managing Director of an
Internet Consultancy. Anastasia may be contacted at:
mailto:Ana@greatbritaintravelguide.com
