Procrastinated long to write this post. I was actually somehow disappointed with Canterbury . Maybe because everyone says how great is this place, my expectation was too high to begin with.
It rained from morning till evening on that day. Canterbury is located quite far east of Kent county. The rain and gray sky did not dampen my spirit. Travelled from Dartford with first available train. Had lovely egg omelette as breakfast before leaving thanks to Jon.
Just outside the train station is the medieval wall of Canterbury. It is a lovely view from the bridge that connects the station to the city. Beyond the wall is the historic Dane John Garden that dates back to 1551. Even in the dense rain, I quite enjoyed this garden. Lined with tress along the pathyway and a fountain in the middle, it is attractive in its own way. One can cut through the park to reach the heart of Canterbury, with its bustling streets and shopping centres. I got a bit lost within the shopping areas and took a while before I found the Canterbury Tales. Made a mistake here. The only reason I visited it before the Cathedral is because I assumed the Cathedral is only open at 12 on Sunday( tour is open at 12 but visitors can enter before 12). Had I visit the Cathedral first I would have 50% off the Canterbury Tales admission fee or got GBP5 off the fee using the coupon from Tourist office right opposite the Cathedral.
The entrance to Canterbury Cathedral
Streched my neck to gaze at this beauty
Gothic style cathedral just like the St George's chapel in Windsor Castle
The Canterbury Tales is quite fun in its own right but the admission fees is too high, GBP 7.95. Inside, audio guide is provided and visitors are guided from one tale to another. My favourite story is the one by Wife from Bath. Other stories are Knight's Tale, Miller's Tale, The Nun's Priest's Tale, and Pardoner's Tale. The stories were told by a group of pilgrims that were making their way to Canterbury to pay respect to St Thomas.
During winter months, Sunday is not a good day to visit. All the museums are closed hence there is really no point buying Canterbury pass. I wandered around the town to look for an open museum. Found Greyfriar's garden instead. A visit to the tourist center confirmed that none is open.
The next stop is the reason why everyone visits Canterbury. The entrance arch to the Cathedral is imposing. I stood back at the tourist office to take in the view. The medieval arch is like a starter to a main meal. Beyond the arch is a path that leads to the majestic cathedral. It is founded in 602AD by St Augustine, its first Archbishop. The gothic style architecture is apparent from the outside. The roof and ceiling are amazing. Really craned my neck gazing at the impressive arch and roof work. The cathedral had a bloody history. It is where St. Thomas was murdered by followers of King Henry II who was used to be a close friend to the archbishop. The Corona keeps a piece of relic from the crown of St Thomas which was struck off during the murder. The 12th century choir and high altar are quite a sight to behold too. Beyond it was where the shrine of St Thomas used to be. It has relocated in 1220 to Trinity Chapel. The stained glass windows are beautiful. Becket's miracle window is just one of them. Edward, the Black Prince, King Henry IV and his wife Joan of Navarre were buried here.
Outside the cathedral, it is worth to saunter around its vicinity. The Norman staircase was built in 1153 and it led up to Poor Pilgrims's Hall where the poor could stay for 3 nights free. It is now part of King's School. While climbing the staircase, I could not help wondering how it feels when the poor found this place of rest in the past.
After leaving the Cathedral, I walked around the city to St. Augustine Abbey , which was a monastery found in 598AD by St Augustine and later became part of a palace. Now it is mainly ruins. I was reluctant to pay to see ruins and walked on to St. Martin's Church.
St Martin's church is the oldest functioning parish church in England. It was built in 597AD, a gift from King Ethelbert of Kent to his christian wife, Bertha. King Ethelbert was a pagan king.
It is a small and humble looking church. From the outside, no one would have guessed how important this church is. It marks the start of christianity in Kent. In 597 AD, Pope Gregory sent Augustine on a christian mission to Kent and the rest is history.
Behind and on the hill behind the church is a lovely garden which I stumbled across by chance.
While walking back to the town, I passed by The Kings School, which was originally a medieval cathedral school. It is in fact the oldest extant school in the world, being first founded in 597AD by St Augustine. However, it is now a private school. Opposite the school is Lady Wotton's Green which has 2 statues of King Ethelbert and Queen Bertha.
Since the museums are not open, I left early after shopping for groceries in Tesco. Looking back I really should have shopped for boots here. Sigh...
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