Canterbury.
“There’s no lovelier place in the world than Canterbury.” – (Virginia Woolfe)
The city of Canterbury located in Kent, South East England is a beautiful and charming city. It is over 2000 years old and full of history and tradition. It is a vibrant student city, home to three universities as well as numerous top colleges and schools.
Canterbury’s biggest attraction for tourists is the magnificent Cathedral, located in the heart of the city. It is one of England’s most famous places of worship, being the home of the English church. Canterbury has been a pilgrim destination for many centuries (the subject of Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th-century book, The Canterbury Tales).
The city itself is compact, encircled by a city wall in some parts, but rich in both history and modern amenities. You will see historic buildings such as the Westgate Towers, the Norman Castle, charming inns, antique stores, and quaint streets.
The beautiful Stour river flows through and around Canterbury, winding around pretty parks. Sitting along the banks of the river in the sun while the ducks and swans swim by is a heartwarming experience.
You can find all the modern amenities in Canterbury – everything from fine-dining restaurants to kebab takeaway shops, and designer and boutique shops alongside department stores.
Canterbury has an excellent student atmosphere with live music venues as well as the usual student bars, pubs, clubs and societies. For cultural entertainment, there are two theatres and two cinemas in the city. There are museums, libraries and art galleries. Of course, for those keen on sport, there are playing grounds, tennis courts, and indoor facilities as well as several gyms and swimming pools. Our location in the ‘Garden of England’ means that you can go horseriding, hiking, biking, running and walking all through the countryside. Being only seven miles from the nearest coast, you can go swimming, scuba-diving, sailing and kite-surfing all year round (although we prefer to do these in the summer).
Modern Canterbury is multicultural. Ashford International (the final Eurostar train stop in the UK), the port of Dover, and London (55 minutes by high-speed train) are close by, so many visitors and tourists come to Canterbury. Because it is a city renowned for education, students come from all over the world to study here. Listen as you walk along the busy streets and you will hear Italian voices amid the throng of Japanese language students, flanked by Spanish and Russian accents, with accompanying American and Australian twangs. And that does not even take into account the many colourful English dialects that can be found right here in Canterbury.
Canterbury has a strong academic tradition. It is one of the first places in the United Kingdom to formalise education, and is home to many prestigious educational institutions.
Canterbury was voted the UK’s safest city for students in the 2011 Good Universities Guide. It is a wonderful place to live and learn.
The beauty of Canterbury has to be experienced to be believed. It continues to enthrall visitors, and students, and its inhabitants because it succeeds in merging its past with the future.