Canterbury
chaucer's city, on foot
A walled cathedral city you can do on foot. Medieval streets, the river and the old city walls, all free to wander.
Free to visit · Canterbury · Kent · St Pancras → Canterbury West · CT1 2EH
Canterbury packs a thousand years of history inside its old walls and most of it is free to enjoy. Wander the cobbled lanes, follow the river Stour past the old weavers' houses and walk a stretch of the medieval city walls without spending a penny.
The cathedral itself now charges to go in, but the close, the Westgate, the gardens and the buzzing little high street cost nothing. Bring a picnic for the riverside meadows and you have a full day in one of England's most storied cities for the price of a fast train.
Getting there from London: St Pancras to Canterbury West, 56 min high speed, advance singles from £15 each way. The streets, the walls and the riverside are free. The cathedral close charges to go in, the city around it does not.
Getting there: Canterbury West is a five minute walk from the high street. The whole old city is small and flat and easily walked.
Best time to go: Weekday mornings before the coach parties. The Westgate gardens by the river are loveliest in the afternoon light.
Official site: https://www.canterbury.co.uk
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