5 guides

TOUR GUIDES

Canterbury city guide

Pick a place in Canterbury. Open the full story or choose a shorter read.

Canterbury city guide

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Canterbury Cathedral exterior with the west front, nave and Bell Harry crossing tower

Canterbury Cathedral

Text guide

Low stone remains at St Augustine’s Abbey with later buildings beyond the ruins

St Augustine’s Abbey

Text guide

St Martin’s Church, Canterbury, with tiled roof, mixed masonry walls and churchyard gravestones

St Martin’s Church

Text guide

The twin round towers and central archway of Canterbury’s Westgate above the road

Westgate Towers

Text guide

The flint frontage and arched street doorway of Eastbridge Hospital in Canterbury

Eastbridge Hospital

Text guide

Canterbury, United Kingdom ✳

Cathedral history & pilgrimage

Canterbury Cathedral

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See how Becket’s murder, a fire and generations of pilgrims changed the cathedral’s east end.♫

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Full story · About 2 min read✳

Canterbury tour guides

Explore Canterbury with five free written guides, photos and map pins. Discover the cathedral, abbey, St Martin’s, Westgate and Eastbridge.

Canterbury Cathedral guide · See how Becket’s murder, a fire and generations of pilgrims changed the cathedral’s east end.

St Augustine’s Abbey guide · Read low ruins as the remains of a large monastery, then follow the loss of its community, shrines and books.

St Martin’s Church guide · See why a small church matters to Canterbury’s beginnings, while separating ancient use from later alterations.

Westgate Towers guide · Read the gate’s outward-facing towers, later prison use and surviving road opening as different ways of controlling movement.

Eastbridge Hospital guide · Understand how poor pilgrims were housed, fed and supported behind a modest flint frontage on Canterbury’s High Street.

More places nearby

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St Augustine’s AbbeyCanterbury

St Martin’s ChurchCanterbury

Sources and photo credits

Photo: Canterbury Cathedral - Portal Nave Cross-spire.jpeg by Hans Musil · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed; cropped for display.

Canterbury city guide

Explore Canterbury

Canterbury has more than one religious beginning. St Martin's recalls Queen Bertha's worship before Augustine arrived in 597. St Augustine's Abbey developed into a major monastery and centre of learning. The cathedral became a destination for pilgrims after Thomas Becket's murder. These are three separate places with connected histories.

The collection also follows life beyond the shrines. Westgate controlled an approach to the city, while Eastbridge offered poor pilgrims a place to sleep. Five free written guides, each with a Quick take and Full story, connect the buildings with the people moving between them. No audio is included.

Choose a short story or read more detail with 5 free guides to the city’s landmarks and neighbourhoods.

Three places, different histories

Begin with St Martin’s for the small church that predates Augustine’s mission. Continue with the abbey for monastic learning and the cathedral for the growth of Becket pilgrimage. The three form a shared World Heritage property, rather than three buildings on a single visitor site.

St Martin’s Church, Canterbury, with tiled roof, mixed masonry walls and churchyard gravestones

St Martin’s Church

See why a small church matters to Canterbury’s beginnings, while separating ancient use from later alterations.

Written guide · Full story · About 2 min read · Quick take

Low stone remains at St Augustine’s Abbey with later buildings beyond the ruins

St Augustine’s Abbey

Read low ruins as the remains of a large monastery, then follow the loss of its community, shrines and books.

Written guide · Full story · About 2 min read · Quick take

Canterbury Cathedral exterior with the west front, nave and Bell Harry crossing tower

Canterbury Cathedral

See how Becket’s murder, a fire and generations of pilgrims changed the cathedral’s east end.

Written guide · Full story · About 2 min read · Quick take

Entering the city and finding a bed

Westgate helps explain the guarded medieval city and its later prison. Eastbridge shows the practical side of pilgrimage: people needed shelter as well as a holy destination. Its modest street frontage opens a different story from the cathedral’s monumental scale.

The twin round towers and central archway of Canterbury’s Westgate above the road

Westgate Towers

Read the gate’s outward-facing towers, later prison use and surviving road opening as different ways of controlling movement.

Written guide · Full story · About 2 min read · Quick take

The flint frontage and arched street doorway of Eastbridge Hospital in Canterbury

Eastbridge Hospital

Understand how poor pilgrims were housed, fed and supported behind a modest flint frontage on Canterbury’s High Street.

Written guide · Full story · About 2 min read · Quick take

Check access before choosing an interior

The cathedral, abbey and St Martin’s have separate visiting arrangements. St Martin’s remains a working church and can close for services or private events. The Westgate museum is reached by narrow stairs, so check its official accessibility information before planning a climb.

Eastbridge’s operator reports structural repair problems in its historic undercroft. Confirm directly whether the rooms you hope to see are accessible; the guide remains useful for understanding the building from outside. The pins identify sites, not entrance doors or a guaranteed accessible walking route.

You can read all five guides free in English. Tickets and tours are separate. Saved guide packs include the story and a photo; map tiles are not included.

Questions about exploring Canterbury

Are these Canterbury guides free?

Yes. All five written guides are free to read. Admission and any official tours are separate.

Are the World Heritage sites all in one place?

No. The cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church are separate sites with different visitor arrangements.

Is Eastbridge Hospital open for an interior visit?

The operator reports urgent repairs affecting the historic undercroft. Check its current visitor information directly before relying on entry.

Is audio available?

No. This Canterbury collection offers written Quick take and Full story versions.

More city guides

Sources and visitor information

Photo credits

Photo: Canterbury Cathedral - Portal Nave Cross-spire.jpeg by Hans Musil · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed; cropped for display.

Photo: St Augustine's Abbey - general view - geograph.org.uk - 3092087.jpg by Rob Farrow · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and compressed; cropped for display.

Photo: Canterbury St Martin close.jpg by Oosoom · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and compressed; cropped for display.

Photo: The West Gate Canterbury (4904562799).jpg by Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0. Resized and compressed; cropped for display.

Photo: Canterbury - Eastbridge Hospital of Saint Thomas the Martyr von 1176.jpg by ABrocke · CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and compressed; cropped for display.

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