Online Encyclopedia
Canterbury, Kent
Canterbury (Latin: Duroverum) is a cathedral city in the county of Kent in southeast England. Canterbury is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the primate of the Church of England.
The name Canterbury derives from the Old English Cantwarebyrig, meaning "fortress of the men of Kent".
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History
Early history
There has been a settlement since prehistoric times. Bronze Age finds, and Neolithic round barrows have been discovered in the area; and before the Roman arrival Durovernon was the most important settlement in Kent.
Canterbury (now Durovernum) became a Roman administrative centre: it lay at the junction of three roads from their ports of Regulbium (Reculver), Dubris (Dover) and Lemanis (Lympne); and it stood on what has become known as Watling Street. The city walls and gates remain.
Religious significance
St Augustine built a priory on the site of the present cathedral precincts in 597AD. He also built an abbey outside the city walls where he was buried: as were other early archbishops.
Canterbury Cathedral is the burial place of King Henry IV and of Edward the Black Prince, but is most famous as the scene of the murder of Thomas a Becket in 1170. As a result of this event, Canterbury became a major pilgrimage site, inspiring Geoffrey Chaucer to write The Canterbury Tales in 1387. The city is also associated with the family of Thomas More and was the birthplace of Christopher Marlowe.
St Augustine's Abbey was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII, although ruins remain. At the same time, the ancient religious school was refounded as the King's School.
- A comprehensive article on the Abbey is here http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/schools/keysites/staug.htm .
More recent history
French Protestant refugees settled in the city during the sixteenth century: here they introduced silk-making
During World War II the city was severely damaged by bombing after it was selected as one of the cities in England to be targeted by the Luftwaffe in the Baedeker Blitz.
In 1944 the city was celebrated by film directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger in their film A Canterbury Tale.
Canterbury today is a major city for tourism with Canterbury Cathedral alone attracting 1.2 million visitors in 2001. It still contains many ancient buildings and modern building development within the medieval town centre is strictly regulated. As of 2004 the Whitefriars area is undergoing major redevelopment and the associated archeological research is called the "Big Dig".
Demographics
- Population (Census figures):
Government
The local government district City of Canterbury covers an area some 13 times larger than the city of Canterbury itself, and includes Herne Bay and Whitstable. The city contains the district wards of Barton, Northgate, St Stephens, Westgate and Wincheap, plus part of the University of Kent (which straddles the city boundary) in the otherwise rural Blean Forest ward. Since October 7, 2004 the 5 wards entirely within the city heve been represented by 9 Liberal Democrat, 3 Conservative and 2 Labour councillors, out of the total 50 members of the district council.
The south-western end of Canterbury comprises the parish of 'Thanington without', the rest of the city is unparished.
The parliamentary constituency of 'Canterbury and Whitstable' is represented in Parliament by the Conservative MP Julian Brazier, a Shadow Trade Minister.
Canterbury itself is twinned with Reims in France, while the district participates in the Sister Cities programme with links to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, USA, and Vladimir, Russia.
Communications
Railways
Canterbury has two railway stations: Canterbury West, served from Victoria as well as by trains from London Charing Cross to Ramsgate and Margate.; and Canterbury East on the service from London Victoria (journey time around 88 minutes) to Dover. These services are operated by South Eastern Trains.
The West station was the earliest to be built. It opened by the South Eastern Railway from Ashford on 6 February 1846; on 13 April the line to Ramsgate was completed. Canterbury East is the more central of the two stations, although it came later, being opened by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway on 9 July 1860.
Canterbury was also the terminus of the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway which was a pioneer line, opened in 1830, and finally closed in 1953. The locomotive which originally worked the line, Invicta, is displayed at the Museum.
Road
Canterbury is by-passed by the main A2 London to Dover Road. It is about 45 miles from the junction with the M25 London orbital motorway, and 61 miles from central London. The other main road through Canterbury is the A28 from Ashford to Ramsgate and Margate.
The hourly National Express coach service to and from Victoria Coach Station is typically scheduled to take 110 minutes.
Educational establishments
The city has many students as it is home to several Higher Education institutions and other colleges. The University of Kent at Canterbury stands on a hill about two miles outside the city centre. Chaucer College is an independent graduate college for Japanese students within the campus of the University. Near the University of Kent is the Franciscan International Study Centre [1] http://www.franciscans.ac.uk , a place of study for the worldwide Franciscan Order. Canterbury Christ Church University College [2] http://www.cant.ac.uk/ is located in the city as is one of the campuses of the Kent Institute of Art and Design. There is also the Further Education institution, Canterbury College .
Hospital of St. Thomas
The subject of the above engraving claims the attention of the antiquarian researcher, not as the lofty sculptured mansion of our monastic progenitors, or the towering castle of the feudatory baton, for never has the voice of boisterous revelry, or the tones of the solemn organ, echoed along its vaulted roof; a humbler but not less interesting trait marks its history. It was here that the zealous pilgrim, strong in bigot faith, rested his weary limbs, when the inspiring name of Becket led him from the rustic simplicity of his native home, to view the spot where Becket fell, and to murmur his pious supplication at the shrine of the murdered Saint; how often has his toil-worn frame been sheltered beneath that hospitable roof; imagination can even portray him entering the area of yon pointed arch, leaning on his slender staff—perhaps some wanderer from a foreign land.
The hospital of St. Thomas the Martyr of Eastbridge, is situated on the King's-bridge, in the hundred of Westgate, Canterbury, and was built by Becket, but for what purpose is unknown. However, after the assassination of its founder, the resort of individuals being constant to his shrine, the building was used for the lodgment of the pilgrims. For many years no especial statutes were enacted, nor any definite rules laid down for the treatment of pilgrims, till the see devolved to the jurisdiction of Stratford, who, in 15th Edward III. drew up certain ordinances, as also a code of regulations expressly to be acted on; he appointed a master in priest's orders, under whose guidance a secular chaplain officiated; it was also observed that every pilgrim in health should have but one night's lodging to the cost of fourpence; that applicants weak and infirm were to be preferred to those of sounder constitutions, and that women "upwards of forty" should attend to the bedding, and administer medicines to the sick.
This institution survived the general suppression of monasteries and buildings of its cast, during the reigns of Henry VIII. and the sixth Edward; and after alternately grading from the possession of private families to that of brothers belonging to the establishment, it was at last finally appropriated to the instruction of the rising generation, whose parents are exempt from giving any gratuity to the preceptor of their children.
Its present appearance is ancient, but not possessing any of those magic features which render the mansions of our majores so grand and magnificently solemn; a hall and chapel of imposing neatness and simplicity are still in good condition, but several of the apartments are dilapidated in part, and during a wet season admit the aqueous fluid through the chinks and fissures of their venerable walls.
Sundry information
The Postcode for the Canterbury area is CT.
The telephone area code is 01227.
External links
Parish Council of Thanington Without http://www.thanington-pc.gov.uk/
Canterbury Big Dig http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/news/newspg.htm#bigdig