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Posted: Saturday, 3rd April 2010
A day in Canterbury
for London Plant Associates
Tuesday, 23rd March 2010.
50 London plant Associates and guests descended on Canterbury on a sunny morning in March. In fact, it was one of the very few sunny days in March. We were lucky.
Several of the group went for coffee and took over the nearby coffee shop in Fenwicks - and planned their day. The Associates then dispersed around the town and its sites and shops.
Canterbury is a World Heritage site and a popular town for tourists.
The coach drop off point is the Central Bus Station, right by the new Whitefriars Shopping Centre, with two department stores and numerous other shops. The Centre is pedestrianised, but not covered. The area opens onto the pedestrianised Parade and High Street, typically thronged with visitors, admiring the "olde" and not so old buildings housing small shops, banks, cafes, bars and restaurants. There is a small market. The river Stour runs through the centre of the town, offering boat trips.
The High Street.
Among the many visitor attractions there are two town museums - the Roman Museum - an underground building at the level of the Roman town, that explores the town's Roman settlement, with reconstructed buildings and artefacts uncovered by excavations as the City was being rebuilt after the war, and the Museum of Canterbury housed in a medieval Poor Priests' Hospital.
Roman Museum. |
Canterbury Museum. |
Off the beaten track the town is full of narrow, quaint streets. An area known as King's Mile that runs right around the edge of the cathedral precincts has 100 specialist boutique shops.
The Cathedral is the main visitor destination, and is approached through the Christ Church Gate.
The rich decoration above Christ Church Gate.
Cathedral exterior.
Mrs Craggs, an Associate living in Canterbury, is a guide at the Cathedral and contacted us to offer a tour. A small group joined her for a fascinating account of the cathedral's history.
Some of the group with Mrs. Craggs.
The six hour stay in the town passed all too quickly and it was soon time to reassemble at the coach drop off point for the journey home.
Waiting for the coach. Click on the image to see an alternative, larger photo.
Derek checks his photos |
Derek Germaney (left) and Albert Borgman
took several more photos in the Cathedral.
Click here to see them.
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Into the tunnel.
Text: Tony Hill; Photos: Derek Germaney, Albert Borgman, Tony Hill
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