About Canterbury

Dominating the city's skyline, Canterbury Cathedral is the focal point for Canterbury's tourist industry, receiving over a million visitors a year. Designated a World Heritage Site, the cathedral is a stunning architectural creation both inside and out with its ornate stonework, decorative columns and high vaulted ceiling.

As the birthplace of the Anglican church, the cathedral is steeped in history spanning well over a thousand years and is home to many iconic artefacts and manuscripts. Regular guided tours detail the cathedral's chequered past and choral services enhanced by its excellent acoustics several times daily give it an unparalleled atmosphere and sense of theatre.

During the Roman occupation of Britain many structures were built that can still be seen to this day around Canterbury, including the gatehouse known as Queningate and the Roman cemetery at Dane John Mound. The Norman Conquest brought such sights as Canterbury Castle, which was constructed soon after the Battle of Hastings and remains one of the finest of its type from this period in England's history.

The city plays host to several fascinating museums charting the social and spiritual history of Canterbury and the Anglican church, one of the most popular of which being housed in the former jailhouse known as The Westgate.

With its links to Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, Canterbury is home to several excellent theatres, as well as staging many outdoor drama performances in some of the city's historic monuments, such as St Augustine's Abbey and even the cathedral itself.