Sunday, December 27, 2009

A Historians Dream Is Canterbury - Kent

By Frederick Hoymer

For those of you that appreciate a perfect combination of coast and countryside as well as a variety of things to do then Canterbury - Kent is the place to visit. Canterbury will inspire any visitor as one will just fall head over heels when you see the majestic countryside as well as take a walk back into the historical past and visit the heritage museums and castle sites.

Archeologists have stated that Canterbury was occupied during the prehistoric times as Bronze Age pots and Neolithic as well as Paleolithic axes were discovered. The main settles in Canterbury were Celts and thereafter the Romans took occupation and rebuilt the town around the first century Anno Domino.

The Canterbury Tales come from as far back as when Thomas Becket's murder took place in the Canterbury Cathedral around 1170 and this cathedral was originally founded by St Augustine in 597 of which he became the very first Archbishop. Canterbury Cathedral around that time became home to Christian pilgrims from around the world.

Still standing are many fourteenth century ruin sites such as the Norman Castle and the ruins of St Augustine's Abby which visitors can see and a must to see is the King's School which dates back many centuries. If you are an avid lover of history Canterbury is the place to be.

The Anglo Saxons took over Canterbury in 842 up until 851 once the Romans fled in 410 AD During this time the Danish attached and raided Canterbury on several occasions leaving many dead and during one of the attacks in 1011 the Danish burnt and demolished the cathedral. Canterbury was again invaded in 1066 by William the Conqueror who in turn built a bailey castle and mote around the city for protection.

Canterbury has association with many of the latter day Saints such as St Augustine, St Anselm, St Mellitus, and St Alphege as well as others. Canterbury at that time had the tenth largest population and the population fell drastically due to the Black Death. In 1413 Henry IV was buried in the Cathedral which took four hundred years to complete. Canterbury has survived numerous wars.

Visitors can enjoy some of the very best shopping experiences as Canterbury offers an array of different shops and in the evening this city really turns around and becomes lively where one can frequent bars or pubs and have a good meal in one of the many restaurants. One will also note that there are still many timber framed houses in Canterbury - Kent as well as one of the original Mills which is now a house is St Martin's Mill. Canterbury is well worth visiting where you can step back in time.

About the Author:

No comments: