'Kent, sir everybody knows Kent apples, cherries, hops, and women...' - Charles Dickens - The Pickwick Papers

'There is no lovelier place in the world...and I have seen Venice too.' - Virginia Woolf [1904]

Canterbury, England's most famous cathedral city of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and now a UNESCO world heritage site sits on the River Stour in one of the most attractive corners of rural Kent. It is easily reached by road, rail or sea, and has been welcoming visitors for thousands of years.

The Norman cathedral still dominates the skyline as you approach the city, giving 21st century visitors the same sense of awe as their medieval counterparts. Making a pigrimage was an important part of medieval life and pilgrim's flocked to the city to visit the shrine of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who was murdered in his cathedral

Today Canterbury still welcomes visitors from all four corners of the globe and has, with its many ancient buildings, shops, bars and restaurants, retained both an old world charm and a cosmopolitan vitality.
The small and compact city centre is closed to traffic during the daytime to enable the narrow streets and the many attractions to be more easily and safely accessed by visitors. From from April to October guided walking tours leave from the Canterbury Information Centre where you can buy your tickets.

Dickensian Rochester Medway

Medway and in particular Rochester, are forever immortalised by their connection, both literary and personal, with the great novelist Charles Dickens. Charles lived in Chatham as a child from 1817, when his father moved from Portsmouth to take up a post in the pay office at Chatham Dockyard, until 1822. The family lived first at Ordnance Terrace and later at St. Mary’s Place, The Brook.
Dickens featured Rochester in his writings more than any other town apart from London. However, the London of Dickens largely disappeared as a result of enemy action during World War II, whereas the Rochester he knew still exists and would be instantly recognised by him. For this reason, the old city and those other parts of the area with Dickensian connections are a mecca for Dickens enthusiasts from all over the world, now you can be part of it at the Dickens World Centre.

A place of pilgrimage

Rochester Cathedral is England’s second oldest cathedral. It was established in 604AD and has become a place of pilgrimage for 1,400 years.
It is a blend of Norman and early English architecture with a medieval crypt that contains an altar to Ithamar, the first Bishop of Rochester.
Today the cathedral retains its atmosphere of peace and reflection and is a place of prayer, pilgrimage and renewal that is open to all.

Fortress Medway

The Norman conquest of 1066 had a considerable impact on Medway, the most visible signs of which can be seen today at Rochester Castle. Centuries later, on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I, Upnor Castle was built to protect the Naval Dockyard against attack from the river. In the 18th century Fort Amherst was built to protect the dockyard from attack by land.
Kent is ideal base for exploring the England and beyond. The countryside surrounding Rochester, Maidstone, Royal Tunbridge Wells Canterbury and between the coastal towns of Herne Bay and Whitstable is an area of outstanding beauty and a perfect place for an enjoyable day out or a relaxing and peaceful overnight stop.With a rich tapestry of historic villages and ancient churches woven into the countryside, this is a stunning area of contrasts to explore. There are also a number of visitor attractions in the countryside which you will find worthwhile adding to your itinerary. And only 40 Minutes on the train or drive into London.

Take a walk or cycle to Whitstable from Canterbury along National cycle route 1, this will take you over the line of the world's first passenger railway the Crab and Winkle Way. The route is safe for children with no traffic to worry about and you can stop at the old winding ponds for a picnic in the heart of one of Englands oldest and largest forests, The Blean. Along the coast you can follow the Wantsum Channel, with two Roman Forts guarding the Channel which once divided the Isle of Thanet from Kent.
For those who like to expend less energy a pleasant drive into the garden of England for lunch, at a country inn followed by a visit to a park or garden is an excellent way to relax and unwind.