ENGLAND – Canterbury (En)
Our first stop in England was Canterbury, just a 20-minute drive away. Canterbury, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its cathedral, its abbey, and its Roman city walls. We really liked the city; it was full of life and had lovely narrow streets. Our favourite spot was the Cathedral Square. What disappointed us was that the cathedral isn’t visible from the outside and you have to pay to see it.
Where to stay
We stayed at Canterbury Park & Ride, a motorhome area (coordinates 51.261398, 1.10037) located next to a pub on the outskirts of the city. The rate is £8 per day. It is an excellent spot: it has facilities for emptying waste and refilling water, and the ticket you get at the entrance barrier allows for free bus travel to the city centre. You have to pay 15 minutes before departure at a machine located next to the bus stop. I recommend it for visiting this wonderful city.
What to see
You catch the bus just 100 meters from the area; in 10 minutes, you’re in the city centre and get off at the station. From there, we headed to the Old Town, and the first things we saw were the clock tower and the Catholic Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury, set in a really cool square featuring a statue that welcomes strangers.
We arrived at the square where the cathedral is located. We were about to enter through the beautiful doorway, but we were told we had to pay nearly 18 pounds per person, so we didn’t go in. I managed to snap a photo from the doorway before I got caught. The square is lovely, surrounded by bars and pubs, with a man singing medieval songs.
We walked along the streets lined with the Tudor-style houses we love so much. We tried to see if the cathedral was visible from anywhere, but we had no luck.
We decided to visit St. Augustine’s Abbey, the ruins of an ancient abbey that was part of a monastic foundation. Near the abbey, you will find two statues of Queen Bertha and King Ethelbert. Ben climbed onto a wall to take photos of the cathedral.
We got back on the bus and decided to have lunch at the pub next to our area. We ate on the terrace and shared a huge club sandwich—chicken, bacon, cheese, and salad, with fries. It was delicious.
The next day, we decided to visit Windsor—home to Windsor Castle, a residence of the British royal family—which you can see in the next blog post.
