A Canterbury tale by rail
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FROM Keith to Canterbury is around 630 miles so the train was the best choice. The early train from Keith arrives in Aberdeen with some spare time before the East Coast London train sets off. The train was in the platform but still being prepared, so we went through the ticket barriers to go to the first-class lounge, but our East Coast tickets are not valid in the Scotrail lounge – all part of the idiocy of the way our railways are fragmentised.
The London train is one of the HST (High Speed Trains) that are now around 40 years old, but still the best trains we have ever had. The service is just great. We had tea served before we were even in Stonehaven, and toast and porridge shortly after that. Before we reached London, we had three meals and almost too much red wine. It really is first-class service.
Arriving in King’s Cross, we walked across to St Pancras, just next door, a heavily modernised station for the Eurostar services and a vast shopping centre (extremely expensive) with trains above it. By asking around we eventually found the way to the southeastern platform to join the Javelin train to Canterbury West. These are very modern sleek trains that go belting off on the High Speed line down to Ashford, and then turn off to Canterbury, where we arrived in under an hour.
Just five minutes walk along the street saw us at our bed and breakfast hotel, The Lady Agnes, typical of Canterbury, centuries old, even mentioned in Dickens’ ‘David Copperfield’; 15th century, black and white and full of character, not that the interior is old fashioned or out of date. It is superbly restored. We had a room in the stables, a fairly modern block on the garden (the largest walled garden in Canterbury), as good as any five-star hotel – at least.
We went out into the town for a light supper, passing through the magnificent West Gate, part of the old walls fortifications. The town centre is a couple of minutes walk from the hotel. Breakfast was excellent. I asked for decaf tea, Christine likes full strength tea – no problem. When we returned to the hotel that evening, in our room was a pot of decaf tea bags alongside the ordinary ones – a nice touch and good attention to detail, typical of this meticulous hotel.
In their window facing the street was a staff vacancy advert, saying that applicants must be "experienced, reliable, and have high standards". This shows through in the standards of the hotel. In Canterbury itself there are many window adverts looking for shop assistants or restaurant staff – and there are no empty shops. It is a town that is constantly thriving, not surprising since it has been welcoming pilgrims for centuries.
A wee bit of history. When the Pope sent St Augustine over to Christianise the English in 597, he landed near here and established his base at Canterbury. St Columba brought Christianity to Scotland in 563. He was England’s first Arch Bishop. After the Reformation, the Cathedral became Protestant and today is the hub of the worldwide Anglican Church. Famously, King Henry ll of England had Thomas Becket murdered here in 1170.
Pilgrims started arriving to pray at his shrine, and miracles were reported, sick people being cured, so even more people came. Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’ are based on the stories told by a group of pilgrims as they make their way to Canterbury, so it has been welcoming ‘tourists’ for at least 1400 years.
You can understand why the Cathedral had to be the first place to go and see. It is especially organised for wheelchairs and special needs, and there are guided tours at noon and 2pm. For a start, it is huge. When you enter, you gasp at the scale of the building. So high, so vast. At the far end is a raised area. When you get there, you climb and see that it is the middle part of the church – also vast, containing the choir stalls, and you pass on to another vast area – and there is the vast crypt underneath.
There is just so much architecture to gaze at, so much history and grandeur. You will spend more time here than you imagined. Every hour there are prayers read out, broadcast throughout the church. It is amazing that it is still here, despite the ravages of time, weather and the Nazi bombers. It costs around £18,000 per day to keep it repaired, so you don’t mind the entrance fee.
When you exit the Cathedral, you are back into the narrow pedestrianised streets of the old town. The old city walls (large sections are still there, one of which you can walk along, and there is also the remains of the castle) encircle the cathedral and the ancient houses, and even a modern shopping centre that has managed to tuck itself in without causing an eyesore.
The bus station sits just inside the walls, but no car parking. The city is ringed with Park and Rides. There are four universities, many bookshops and cafes and restaurants (no doubt providing some part-time work for students) and a real buzz about the place.
We went to find out more from the tourist information office, which is inside another venerable old building on the main street, the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge. As well as the tourist office, it is an art gallery, museum and the public library, with a great many activities for children – and all free. Armed with some leaflets and good advice, we went to the Roman Museum, which is home to artefacts in very good condition, including many that were turned up when the Nazi bombers left the craters from the "Baedeker" raids. You start at ground level and go down a few levels to see actual Roman foundations and mosaics. It is all wheelchair accessible, too.
There are surprising buildings everywhere you look. An old clock tower stands slightly self consciously, surrounded by modern shops, and a strikingly modern Marlowe Theatre is reached via an ancient ginnel. We had to experience the Canterbury Tales show, in a converted church. You go in and when a group of you are gathered, an actor in medieval costume takes you back in time to Chaucer’s day – you are a group of pilgrims on the way to Canterbury. People and animals pop out and tell the some of the tales, and you are lead from one scene to another, until, thoroughly enchanted, another actor explains the murder of Thomas Becket, and you emerge into the 21st century. Great fun, and it will be loved by children, too. Ghost tours in the city centre are especially loved by children.
Summer boat trips on the river are themed, and this attraction has won awards. The river is rather narrow so the boats are more like punts.
Wandering around is not so tiring, as the city centre is quite compact. There are so many places to eat, and not too expensive either, with menus from all over the world. We found the Olive Grove on Best Lane, an independent Italian restaurant offering home-made food at good prices. It was so good that we went back again the second night.
Such a lot to see and explore. I have skimmed over the surface. Canterbury Council also covers Whitstable and Herne Bay. Whitstable is just seven miles north on the coast, and has always been Canterbury’s port. One of the first railways in the world, dating from 1830, ran between the two towns, known as the "Crab and Winkle" railway.
Whitstable still provides great quantities of whelks and oysters for the London market. It is a very attractive little town, with ancient ginnels between restored old fishermen’s cottages, down to the beach, and the small harbour still has a few working boats. The old railway line is now a cycle way, and bikes can be hired in Canterbury, and also at The Lady Agnes hotel. Buses also run every few minutes. Herne Bay has a good beach and is more like your old fashioned bucket and spade seaside resort.
We were very impressed with Canterbury and its many unique buildings and experiences. It is easy to see why it is so popular. We were there in February, but there were plenty of tourists about, and nothing was shut or out of season (apart from the boat trips), so it is a good destination at any time of the year. For us here in the north, it is easy to travel in style by train all the way. East Coast Railways says that the cheapest fares are always on their website www.eastcoast.co.uk, and if you book well in advance you can get some cracking deals in first-class. For connecting tickets in Scotland go to www.scotrail.co.uk and the link to Canterbury. So convenient from St Pancras because you don’t have to cross London; go to www.southeasternrailway.co.uk. Buying the tickets separately like this seems to be the cheapest way.
For more information on Canterbury go to www.canterbury.co.uk and www.facebook.com visitcanterbury, for The Lady Agnes go to www.houseofagnes.co.uk and www.facebook.com/houseofagnes Compared to the indignity and just plain hassle of air travel these days, plus getting to and from the airport and spending hours in queues, or the stress of driving all that way, you cannot beat the train. The comfort and style of East Coast makes travelling a pleasure in itself, part of the holiday experience, rather than a chore to be suffered in order to get to your destination. Give it a try!
