Canterbury Visitor Guide 2020- DIGITAL

Treasures
HIDDEN
From wonderful historical facts to long-forgotten architecture,
there’s no shortage of unusual things to discover, no matter
where you are.
For example, did you know
that St. Martins Church in
Canterbury is the oldest
church, which has been in
continuous use, in the Englishspeaking
world? Dating
to 597AD this treasure is
part of the UNESCO World
Heritage Site in Canterbury
and well worth a visit. While
you are there tucked away
around the side of the church
is a natural spring that often
goes unnoticed.
While on the lookout for
treasures, in Sturry look for a
medieval holy water conduit
with a 1960s roof. Found
behind the Prince of Wales
Boxing Club, the conduit
carries water from the reed
pond to Canterbury Cathedral
via Prior Wilbert’s cutting-edge
waterworks of 1150AD.
A walk through Victory
Woods (Yorkletts, Whitstable)
reveals a Cold War bunker
that is opened to the public on
Heritage Open Days.
Victory Wood was planted
between 2005-2008 to mark
the 200th anniversary of
Britain’s victory at the Battle of
Trafalgar. From the vantage
point features relating to the
battle (sculptures, trees and
groves) have been landscaped
to represent each ship in the
British fleet.
If Reculver is on your list to visit,
then pay a trip to the village of
Hoath. This ancient and small
village was originally in the
parish of Reculver. The Holy
Cross Church was founded
in Hoath but was dissolved
in 1548.
➜ The famous
clocktower on
Herne Bay seafront
is one of the oldest
freestanding clock
towers in the UK and
is lit up at night, but
did you know that
for special occasions
it can be arranged
for the clocktower
volunteer group @
baypromotion to
change the light
colours to befit
Stay the night...
For memorable
accommodation, wake up
with a view of the cathedral
framing your window with a
stay at the Cathedral Lodge.
The Boathouse in Whitstable
is just as cool with a balcony
overlooking the
RSPB nature
reserve and
the sea
➜ Along the promenade at Herne
Bay is a bronze statue of English
Aviator Amy Johnson looking
out to sea. She was the first
woman to fly solo from England
to Australia but died after her
plane crashed near Herne Bay in
1941. Next to the pier is a wooden
model plane that children enjoy
clambering in for photos
➜ Herne Bay has had many
famous residents including artist
Marcel Duchamp, writer George
Reynolds (whose books were
more popular than Dickens in his
day) and Detective Edmund Reid
– who was at the centre of the
Jack the Ripper investigation
➜ Herne bay has not only attracted
famous faces but is also a
popular filming location as seen
in Doctor Who (1968) Little
Britain (2003) and ITV latest
series sitcom Kate & Koji (2020).
Along the coast, Whitstable
has had its fair share of fame
on screen too with Tipping the
Velvet (2002) shot there
41 13
➜ DO YOU KNOW...
In Canterbury
Cathedral there is
a door behind the
‘Martyrdom’ which
many people think is
out of bounds, it isn’t
- The Great Cloister
lies beyond boasting
many stone carvings of
animals, coats of arms
and medieval heads
visitcanterbury.co.uk
visitcanterbury.co.uk