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Finding your way about - a 3-minute guide
The city walls form an oval shape with the longer axis aligned roughly south-west to north-east. The longer axis is around a kilometre or two-thirds of a mile in length. The Cathedral is located in the north-easterly corner of the enclosed area. Only one original medieval gate survives: the Westgate. From this, the main street across the city centre runs south-eastwards:
The centre of the city is the crossroads formed beside the 'fine half-timbered store (formerly occupied by Boots Ltd, now by 'Pret a Manger'.)where the main street is crossed by a road coming from the Castle ruins at the south-western end of the city, going north across the main street, past the entrance to the Cathedral, up to the King's School:
The 'Boots' store is now occupied by 'Pret a Manger'. Two main cross-links complete the basic street pattern of the city inside the walls: Burgate, which runs along the southern boundary of the Cathedral precincts, and Watling Street, which runs south of the main shopping area - the area most affected by bombing in 1942:
Hatching = bombed area Another feature that can help you orientate yourself is the River Stour. A small river, it splits into two main branches, one flowing along the outside of the western city walls past the Westgate, and the other flowing through the centre, past the sites of the Greyfriars and Blackfriars monasteries and going under Eastbridge Hospital:
Some of the places of interest are just outside the city walls: * St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church are to the east, along the road to Sandwich.
Take your choice of our other Canterbury pages: |
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Dr Thomson's Tours
Tour operator & private guide
Tailor-made private tours of South-East England, France, Belgium & Germany
