Canterbury is a historic English Cathedral City that is located in the county of Kent, South East England. With a beautiful blend of old and new architecture, Canterbury is a product of many historical buildings that still remain today, including the city walls founded in the Roman Era. As a thriving city that attracts many people from all across the globe, Canterbury is a popular location for both visitors and residents as it offers plenty of greenery, including parks, gardens, and wide open spaces. With an idyllic city centre paved with cobbled streets, house hunters can find a wide variety of impressive accommodations, such as large country homes, Grade listed homes, farmhouses, and contemporary properties. The average property price in Canterbury comes out at around £340,000, which is lower than the London average of £523,666, although still high for most families to afford.
Many beautiful attractions are discoverable in Canterbury, with the city boasting the top historical sights of Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury Roman Museum, and Westgate Towers Museum & Viewpoint. Some other wonderful entertainment options include The Marlowe Theatre, Gulbenkian Arts Centre, The Foundry Brew Pub, and The Westgate Hall. Shopaholics of Canterbury also have plenty of shops to explore, with Whitefriars Canterbury, Maybrook Retail Park, Walrus & Oyster Emporium, and Marshwood Retail Park.
Canterbury is renowned for being one of the safest university cities in England, although just like most cities, there are some not-so-safe areas that let the city down. The county of Kent is also among the top 10 most unsafe counties in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Plenty of parking options are available across Canterbury. If residents are looking for a short-term stay at an hourly fee, they can head to the likes of Holman's Meadow Car Park, Whitefriars Car park, Northgate Car Park, and Queningate Car Park. Those in need of long-term parking spaces for convenience or work can explore the online services of JustPark, Yourparkingspace, and Parkopedia for either a daily or monthly fee.
A reasonable range of nightlife venues are on offer in Canterbury, with mainly bars and pubs dotted around the city centre. Some of the popular options to attend are Club Chemistry, Bramleys, The Ballroom, The Cuban, and The Black Griffin. For residents who are in search of more evening options, they can travel to the nearby lively areas of London or Brighton.
Families can find 4 ‘Outstanding’ Ofted-rated schools in Canterbury consisting of St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, Blean Primary School, and Sturry Church of England Primary School. An additional 14 ‘Good’ Ofsted-rated schools can also be located in Canterbury, as well as some brilliant further education, including Canterbury College, University of Kent, and Canterbury Christ Church University.
Pet owners not only have a great choice of properties that are suitable to house themselves and their furry friends, but also a great selection of green areas to go out and explore. Canterbury provides some lovely scenic spots for dog walkers and adventurers to enjoy, with some of the best local hotspots being Dane John Gardens, Westgate Gardens, Sturry Road Community Park, and Garden of St Mary de Castro.
Canterbury West railway station is the busier of the two stations in Canterbury, where residents can access the service of Southeastern trains. The station provides frequent direct and connecting trains to the popular destinations of London St Pancras- 55m, Brighton- 2hrs 47m, Coventry- 2hrs 36m, and Bristol Temple Meads- 3hrs 35m. The nearest airport to Canterbury is London Southend (SEN) Airport, which is reachable by car in 1 hour 51 minutes via the M2. Buses also serve the area for local travel.