I have been to Canterbury numerous times. I was born only 14 miles away at Ashford and frankly I would not rate Canterbury as one of my favourite places. Familiairity, it is said, breeds contempt, but I think I am being quite objective when I assert that English cathedral cities such as Salisbury,York, Lincoln, Exeter and Durham are more beautiful than Canterbury.
The city is surprisingly very small, being, for instance, less than half the size of York, and it is dominated in many regards by its large Cathedral. Although Canterbury Cathedral is big I would not regard it as among the most beautiful buildings of its type in England. Again I personally feel that Salisbury, Lincoln and York Minster are more impressive.
Another rather offputting aspect is that there are turnstiles and you have to pay to enter the Cathedral grounds. During summer months there are hoards of people and the wait can be a lengthy one.
Other interesting buildings in this small city include the delightful Weavers, the Marlowe Theatre, Kings' School, Christ Church College and on the outskirts are the modern buildings of the University of Kent.
The shopping scene in Canterbury is good. There is a good selection of shops ranging from several large department stores down to little speciality fudge shops. The city also has a number of very good book shops; it is also easy to get second-hand books.Canterbury has a plethora of gift and souvenir shops, although some of the products on offer are decidedly tacky.
There are some lovely villages such as Chilham, Bridge,Wickhambreaux, Fordwich and Littlebourne to explore-all are within easy reach of the city. Another popular attraction is Howlett's Animal Park. Also near Canterbury are the coastal resorts of Whitstable and Herne Bay.
The tourists outnumber the locals at times during the summer months and Canterbury takes on a lively air. There are some good city centre pubs and loads of eateries for such a small city. However, a lot of the restaurants are very pricey, no doubt taking advantage of the large number of tourists that flock to Canterbury.
Besides restaurants there are a number of coffee houses and fast food eateries in the city. As regards accommodations Canterbury has a fairly good range including county style hotels, modern travel lodge style places, guest houses and numerous bed and breakfast establishments.
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