Away in April 2011 – Day 4 Canterbury

Canterbury, Chilham, Canterbury Cathedral, Chilham

Monday, 4 April 2011

Not another 3.00am start? Early waking becoming a habit but allows time for journalling.

Today’s plan was to drive to Canterbury but happened on Park and Ride facility at Wincheap – for £2.50 left the car and caught a bus into the city, congratulating ourselves on our good fortune.

Canterbury is a lovely walled city and is famous for its Cathedral and Roman foundations so Museum of Canterbury, the Roman Museum and Canterbury Cathedral were on our must see list.

Both museums worth the £20 entrance fee. Museum of Canterbury housed in original Chapel of St Mary – comprehensive and interactive history with special Rupert the bear and Joseph Conrad exhibitions. Set up well for teachers with lots of interactive exhibits.

Canterbury Cathedral is a world unesco heritage site and is really a whole precinct in itself. Amazing architecture and history – tombs of influential people of several ages jostling cheek by jowl. We shared the space with huge contingent of French students, like students the world over but love the accent!

Cold wind and a brisk 10 degrees necessitated fortification of soup of the day for me and Ploughman’s lunch for Anthony and reviving afternoon tea at the Moat tea shop with toasted tea cake and an Eccles cake to share.

Didn’t get to punt on the river or walk some of the city wall but did see ruins of Norman castle, home to many contented pigeons!

Some souvenir shopping – cloth badge of course – but Anthony called a halt after a half dozen charity shops (building a plate collection for Kathryn).

Bought all important tea leaves at the Moat and groceries at Tescos.

Detoured on the way home to Chilham, a quaint little village just out of Canterbury. Will do some walking here later in our stay.

	the River Stour [Map]		Charity shop [Map]
	Museum of Canterbury [Map]		Norman castle [Map]
	Canterbury Cathedral [Map]		The Moat tea shop [Map]
	Inside Canterbury Cathedral [Map]		Inside Roman Museum – they did have take away [Map]
	Canterbury street [Map]		One of many stained glass windows Canterbury Cathe [Map]