We continue our trip to London, but this time we will also visit the city of Canterbury. A perfect day trip from the capital.
16th February
We continue where we left off in the previous entry. After a quick and not very good meal at a Wasabi chain restaurant, we headed for the next destination: the Natural History Museum. We headed to our next destination: the Natural History Museum.
The Natural History Museum was opened in 1881 and houses specimens of life and earth sciences. It contains some 80 million items divided into five main collections. These are botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology.
Given the age of the institution, many of the collections are of great historical and scientific value, such as the specimens collected by Charles Darwin.
The museum is particularly famous for its display of dinosaur skeletons. It is also famous for its ornate architecture, for which it is described as a cathedral of nature.
Like other publicly funded national museums in the UK, the Natural History Museum does not charge admission. You can, however, leave a donation at the many POS terminals at the entrance.
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To visit it we can go directly and queue, or get tickets on their official website in advance and save the queue.
We decided to get the tickets for a Sunday to avoid the big school trips on school days but… I made a mess of things. I didn’t know that on those days the children were on holiday and there was no school.
That’s why there were more people there than during the war. The dinosaur room was totally collapsed. It was literally impossible to walk through it.
In spite of the tremendous hullabaloo, the museum is spectacular. You will learn a lot.
After spending a little over two hours, we decided to leave the museum and go to another one. Across the street, going east out of the building, is the Victoria and Albert Museum.
It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It is the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design. It houses a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects – almost nothing!
Its collection spans 5,000 years of art, from ancient history to the present day, from the cultures of Europe, North America, Asia and North Africa.
Like other British national museums, admission is free. It is another must-see museum. Although we didn’t have much time as it closed at 18:00.
Although it was closed at night, it was quite early so we decided to continue sightseeing. We got on the underground and went to Bank Station.
There you can find The Royal Exchange, the Royal Exchange of London. It was founded in the 16th century by the merchant Sir Thomas Gresham at the suggestion of Richard Clough to serve as the trading centre of the City of London.
The Exchange building has been destroyed twice by fire. The present building was designed by Sir William Tite in the 1840s. For almost 150 years, the site was occupied by Lloyd’s Insurance Market.
Today the Royal Exchange houses a shopping centre with restaurants and luxury shops.
Directly opposite is the Bank of England, the Bank of England. It is the central bank of the United Kingdom and was established in 1694 to act as the banker and debt manager for the English government. It is the second oldest central bank in the world.
From its foundation until its nationalisation in 1946 by Attlee’s ministry, the bank was privately owned by its shareholders. It holds the official gold reserves of the United Kingdom and those of some 30 other countries.
The first large building was opened in 1734. Although its first extension was made in the 1760s and an even more ambitious one between 1788 and 1833.
Today only the perimeter wall remains of the old building, the rest of which was demolished in 1920 to make way for the current building.
Among other things to see and do in the museum, you will be able to touch and hold a real gold bar. But you won’t be able to take it home…
We continue our walk through the City of London. Nearby is Guildhall, a municipal building built in the 15th century.
The building has been used as a town hall for several centuries, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London. Not to be confused with the Guildhall, the administrative centre of Greater London.
Next to it is the Guildhall Art Gallery, created in 1899, it houses the art collection of the City of London. Although this building was destroyed during the German bombing raids during the Second World War, 164 paintings, drawings, watercolours and engravings were lost. During the bombing 164 paintings, drawings, watercolours and prints, and 20 sculptures were lost.
The building was designed in the post-modern style by the British architect Richard Gilbert Scott. The new facility, which was to house a collection of some 4,000 items, was completed in 1999.
Inside the building are the remains of a mid-1st century Roman amphitheatre discovered in 1988. These remains can be visited free of charge.
A little further west we came across something that caught my eye, the St Alban Wood Street Church Tower.
St Alban’s was a church of medieval origin dedicated to St Alban. After its near destruction, it was rebuilt in 1634. It was destroyed again in the Great Fire of 1666 only to be rebuilt again in the Gothic style by Sir Christopher Wren.
It was almost destroyed again during German bombing raids during World War II, with only the tower surviving.
Just 50 metres from the tower is the last place we wanted to visit that day, the Roman Fort Ruins.
The Roman fort of Londinium was built to the northwest of the main settlement of Londinium around 110-120 AD. Housing up to 1,000 soldiers, it was closed only a century later. By then the military situation in the far south of Britain had become more secure.
Being quite exhausted we went in search of somewhere to have a quick dinner before returning to the hotel. Everything was closed so we went to the Barbican Centre. It is a cultural centre and home to the London Symphony Orchestra.
It was full of people. It was really crowded so we decided to go to the tube and go back to the hotel and have dinner in a nearby KFC.
17th February
It’s an early start today. We are going on a trip to Canterbury. We took the DLR train to Stratford International station. There we boarded a high-speed Southeastern train which cost us £49.50 (€59), a return ticket, with an open return.
At 9.12 we left for Canterbury, where we arrived an hour later.
The area has been inhabited since Palaeolithic times. During the Iron Age it was known as Durovernum Cantiacorum and was the capital of the Celtic Cantiaci people.
Later it was the capital of the Kingdom of Kent, a medieval kingdom (455 – 871) founded by Germanic Jute invaders. At that time it was known as Cantwareburh.
St Augustine was sent by the Pope in 597 AD to re-establish Christianity in southern England and came to Canterbury.
Canterbury has been a major European pilgrimage site for over 800 years, since the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.
It is now a major tourist centre and World Heritage City.
If you want to get to know its history and its nooks and crannies in depth, we recommend a fantastic guided tour:
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We arrived at Canterbury West station. From here it is only a 5 minute walk to the Westgate. This is a medieval wall gate built in 1379. It is the only one of the seven medieval gates still standing.
It now houses the Westgate Towers Museum, as well as a number of historically themed escape rooms.
We walk through the gate and into St. Peter’s street. This is the main tourist street in the city, full of restaurants and cafés. We will also find many remarkable elements that we will see as we walk along it.
The first thing we come across is St Peter’s Anglican Church, which gives its name to the street. It is one of the two Anglican churches within the city walls that are still active.
It was built in the 12th century on the site of an ancient Christian church from Roman times. The choir was enlarged in the 13th century and the north and south aisles were added in the 14th and early 15th centuries.
A little further ahead is one of the most iconic images of the city. The River Great Stour from Kings Bridge.
At this point we decided to take a break and have a hot coffee. It was freezing cold. We went to a place called Bakers + Baristas. The coffee was very good and not ‘expensive’: £3.80 (€4.50) each.
Just opposite the café is Canterbury pilgrims hospital.
Eastbridge Hospital, also known as the Hospital of St Thomas Becket the Martyr, was founded in the 12th century. It was made to provide accommodation for poor pilgrims travelling to the shrine of St Thomas Becket. It was not a medical hospital like today’s hospitals; its name comes from hospitality…
Today, it is one of ten almshouses that still accommodate the elderly in Canterbury.
Further along the street is The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge. It is an art museum and library housed in a beautiful historic building. The tourist information office is also located here.
Nearby is the Mercery Line, perpendicular to the main street, one of the most photographed streets in the city.
At the end of this is the Buttermarket, with over 800 years of history. Until 200 years ago it was known as Bullstake. Here bulls were tied up and fattened with dogs, both for fun and because it was believed to make the meat more tender.
In the square is Christchurch Gate, the main entrance to the cathedral precinct. It was built in 1517 by order of Prior Thomas Goldstone II. Unfortunately, the outer face was largely covered by restoration.
We cross it and… now, the jewel in the crown of the city, the impressive Canterbury Cathedral.
Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Consecrated in 1070, it is one of the oldest Christian structures in England. It is a World Heritage Site.
Founded in 597, the cathedral was completely rebuilt between 1070 and 1077. It has undergone several extensions and reconstructions over the centuries. In 1174, for example, to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop murdered in the cathedral in 1170.
The nave and Norman transepts survived until the late 14th century, when they were demolished to make way for the present structures.
Tickets can be purchased at a ticket office in the Buttermarket. The price is £18 (€21.50) and is valid for as many times as you like for a whole year.
Inside the nave, as soon as you enter you will meet volunteers who will give you some information about the cathedral. We also have a marked route to explore the cathedral without missing anything.
We will be able to visit the nave, the main body of the cathedral. A place where people have gathered throughout the ages. While we were there, a lady came up to say a few words.
We then move on to the Chancel, the heart of the cathedral. Many services are held here, such as Evensong and Sunday worship. It was here that a lady went up to say a few words.
On this floor we also find the Trinity Chapel and the Corona Chapel. The former was built under the supervision of the master masons William of Sens and William the Englishman. It served as a shrine for the relics of the martyred Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket.
The second owes its name to the cut crown of Thomas Becket (St Thomas the Martyr), for whose shrine it was built.
After visiting the upper floor, we go out to the Great Cloister. Rebuilt between 1394 and 1414, it was the nerve centre of the medieval priory. Although the priory was dissolved in 1540, traces of the cloister’s place in monastic life still remain.
From the cloister we enter the Chapter House, the largest in England. It was the daily meeting place of the Benedictine monks of the cathedral priory from the time of the first Norman Archbishop Lanfranc. It remained so until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII in 1540.
To our surprise, there was a children’s mini-golf course… as you read, a CHILDREN’S MINIGOLF.
We go back out into the cloister and take a corridor to the east. Here we come out into the ruins of the monastery. These are part of the former monastic infirmary and chapel. After the Reformation, the infirmary was converted into living quarters. But by the end of the 19th century it had fallen into disrepair and now forms the picturesque ruins you see today.
We return to the interior of the building to visit the Crypt. It is a large stone chamber located under the choir and the Trinity Chapel, with numerous chapels. It is a sacred burial place and a space for services and prayer.
Incidentally, photography is strictly forbidden.
Having finished our visit to the cathedral, we set out to continue our tour of the city. We are on our way to the next stop, St. Augustine’s Abbey, while we look for a place to eat.
On the way we come across St. Mary Magdalen Tower. It is all that remains of the parish church of St. Mary Magdalen.
The church dates back to the 12th century but this tower is a 16th century addition. The church was closed to worship in 1866 and in 1871 the whole church was demolished except the tower.
We soon reach the gate of the cemetery of San Agustín, built in the 12th century and restored in 1839. This was the old main entrance for the parishioners to the church and the cemetery.
Close by is the entrance to the grounds of St. Augustine’s Abbey. It was founded as a monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul and modified after the death of its founder, St. Augustine of Canterbury. After this it became a Benedictine monastery.
The abbey was founded in 598 and functioned as a monastery until its dissolution in 1538 during the English Reformation. After its dissolution some of its buildings became royal residences. Others were dismantled and their materials sold. The library, containing 2,000 manuscripts, was destroyed and the treasure looted.
In 1844 Alexander James Beresford Hope, a member of Parliament and generous churchman, bought the ruins. With the help of other donors they restored and rebuilt some buildings for the establishment of a college to train young men as missionaries in the British colonies.
St. Augustine’s Missionary College was in operation until it was severely damaged during the German bombing raids of 1942.
Since 1976, the school buildings, together with some new ones, have been used by the King’s School as a boarding school and school library.
The ruins can now be visited for an entrance fee of £10.50 (€12.40), which I think is a real barbarity.
We continued on our way through the town, without finding anywhere to eat. Next stop: St. Martin’s Church.
St. Martin’s Church is an ancient parish church recognised as the oldest ecclesiastical building in Britain still in use. It is also the oldest existing parish church in the English-speaking world.
It was built during the Roman Empire. It was the private chapel of Queen Bertha of Kent (539 – 612) before St Augustine of Canterbury arrived from Rome in 597.
With the construction of Canterbury Cathedral and St Augustine’s Abbey, St Martin’s lost prestige, but retains its priority and historical importance.
Shortly before 1844, a hoard of gold coins was found in the cemetery that may date from the late 6th century. One of them is the medal of Liudhard, with the image of a diademed figure and a legend referring to Liudhard.
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We head back towards the centre now, looking for something to eat, towards St. George street, which is a shopping street. As soon as we enter we come across Saint George’s Tower.
The clock tower is all that remains of the medieval church of St. George the Martyr. The church was the place where Canterbury-born playwright Christopher Marlowe was baptised on 26 February 1564.
We finally found a decent place to eat. It’s called Bill’s Canterbury Restaurant. The food was great and it was not very expensive. The whole thing cost us £43.43 (€52.26).
Now with renewed strength we set off for Dane John Gardens. This is the site of The Simmons Memorial. It was erected in 1803 to commemorate the generosity of James Simmons. He greatly improved Dane John Gardens in 1790.
From the top of the monument we can enjoy good views of the city.
We walked down and continued along the medieval walls until we reached Canterbury Castle which… was completely walled up for restoration.
The Norman Canterbury Castle was one of the three original royal castles in Kent. It was built shortly after the Battle of Hastings, on the main Roman road from Dover to London. This was the route taken by William the Conqueror in October 1066.
Close by is St Mildred’s Church, dating from the 11th century. It is the only surviving pre-Norman church within the ancient city walls.
From there we take a stroll along the banks of the Great Stour River. We take a nice, leisurely stroll to another of the city’s most photographed sights, Greyfriars Chapel. But it also has a history.
Greyfriars was the first Franciscan friary in England. From 1267, the Canterbury house was rebuilt in stone. This was thanks to a donation of land from Alderman John Digge, former Sheriff of Canterbury.
From here was erected the convent, whose great church was consecrated by Archbishop Walter Reynolds in 1325.
The Franciscan monks stayed here until Henry VIII’s reformation, when some were imprisoned and the rest expelled.
We continue on our way to St. Margaret’s Church, a church founded in the 12th century. Although most of the present building actually dates from the 14th century.
In 1942 it ceased to be used as a church for the deaf until 1986 when it became the Canterbury Tales tourist attraction.
Nearby is the Canterbury Roman Museum which houses a Roman pavement in the remains of a Roman courtyard which is itself a listed building. The pavement was discovered after the bombing of World War II and has been open to the public since 1949.
The museum was established in 1961 and houses numerous artefacts excavated from Roman Canterbury.
We continue our walk and make our way to one of the most curious buildings in the city. This is The Crooked House or Sir John Boys House, a 17th century half-timbered building.
The house is named after Sir John Boys, MP and first Recorder of Canterbury. The most notable feature is the front door, which had to be built with very crooked corners to fit into the door frame.
The house is said to have acquired this appearance after modifications to an interior chimney caused the structure to slide sideways.
Attempts to rectify the slippage caused the entire structure to tilt further, although the building is now stabilised internally by a steel frame.
It is now used as a charity bookshop for the local homeless charity Catching Lives.
At this point we turn around and head back towards the train station. We stroll along the banks of the Great Stour until we reach the Marlowe Theatre. It is a very ugly building that contrasts tremendously with the medieval architecture of the city.
It is a theatre rebuilt between 2009 and 2011 and is named after the playwright Christopher Marlowe, born in Canterbury.
As there was still a long way to go before our train left, we decided to look for somewhere to have a hot drink. We did so at a place called My Cafe Canterbury, a simple cafe-restaurant where we had a pretty good hot chocolate. It all cost us 6£ (7,22€).
Now it was time to go back to London. At 18.23 we left for the capital, where we would arrive 47 minutes later.
We’ll leave this entry here so that it doesn’t take too long.
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