September 2019 - Trip To Kent Part One

 We had a lovely weekend down in Kent at the start of September. Id always wanted to visit Canterbury cathedral, perhaps one of the most famous and well-known cathedrals in England. The history of the cathedral is immense, spanning nearly 1,500 years. The cathedral has had many changes over the years, from fires, to enlargements, restorations and even an earthquake in 1392. Its also had its share of violence within its walls, the murder of Thomas Beckett and damage incurred during the Reformation and the English Civil War. Its also the start of many pilgrimage trails and famously the destination of those in the Canterbury Tales. 

The actual cathedral itself has a splendid feeling inside, full of little details and keep your eyes scanning the place to see more. Its a beautiful mix of styles too, there's a lot of English Gothic there, but there's also area with an almost French feel to them, as well as one of the grandest cloister's I think I've ever seen! Its not the most beautiful, or the most architecturally significant Cathedral I've ever been to, but I did enjoy my visit. Tickets start at £17 for an adult, and gives you unlimited entry for 12 months from date of purchase. It's a shame I don't live closer, I'd love to pop in again, just to soak up the atmosphere again!

Here's the infirmary ruins, fancy being able to park your cars in them!

The last two photos are from St Augustine's Abbey, which is run by English Heritage. Its not a must see, but it was quite interesting, particularly in the little museum which gave you a nice idea of what life was like in the middle ages. Tickets start at £9.50, but you do get a 15% discount by booking in advance through the English Heritage website.

Canterbury was a fun place, and a shame we only had the day there to explore. I would definitely come back and spend some more time here again one day. Thats the only problem, there never seems to be enough time to see and do everything!