History Tour in Canterbury

Free History Tour in Canterbury with Roamee Pro

Roamee Pro, also known as Roamee, offers a free history tour route in Canterbury. The audio walking tour can include stops such as Canterbury Cathedral — This UNESCO-listed cathedral is the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and one of the oldest Christian structures in England, with foundations dating to Augustine's original 597 AD church. The current Gothic edifice, rebuilt after a fire in 1174 by the French architect William of Sens, features soaring perpendicular Gothic vaulting in the nave, a stunning collection of medieval stained glass spanning the 12th to 15th centuries, and the site of Thomas Becket's martyrdom, marked by a candle-lit shrine in the northwest transept. The Bell Harry Tower, rising 72 meters, is a masterpiece of late Perpendicular Gothic architecture completed in 1498., St Augustine's Abbey — These atmospheric ruins mark the site of one of the earliest monasteries in England, founded by Augustine himself in 598 AD as a Benedictine community and royal burial ground for the kings of Kent. The abbey was one of the most important centers of learning in Anglo-Saxon England before being dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. The ruins reveal foundations spanning nearly a thousand years of monastic construction, and the site is part of Canterbury's collective UNESCO World Heritage designation., The Canterbury Tales attraction — This immersive experience in the medieval St Margaret's Church recreates five of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales through life-sized tableaux, audio narration, and atmospheric effects. While designed for entertainment, it provides genuine historical context about 14th-century pilgrimage culture, medieval social hierarchies, and Chaucer's revolutionary decision to write in Middle English rather than French or Latin, helping democratize English literature., plus hidden gems like Greyfriars Chapel — Built over the River Stour in 1267, this small Franciscan chapel is the oldest surviving Franciscan building in Britain. The friars deliberately built over the water as a symbol of humility, and the chapel's intimate timber-framed interior, reached by a garden path along the river, provides one of Canterbury's most peaceful and least-visited historic spaces. and The Dane John Gardens — This public park centers on a large Norman motte (artificial mound), possibly built on an earlier Bronze Age burial mound, that offers elevated views over the surviving sections of the medieval city walls. The gardens were landscaped in the 18th century with winding paths, a bandstand, and a monument commemorating local benefactor Alderman James Simmons..

Use this page as a starting point for a Canterbury walking tour, a free route, or the Roamee app for Canterbury. Roamee Pro keeps the route flexible so you can follow the stops, skip ahead, or explore nearby streets at your own pace.

• •Canterbury Cathedral — This UNESCO-listed cathedral is the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and one of the oldest Christian structures in England, with foundations dating to Augustine's original 597 AD church. The current Gothic edifice, rebuilt after a fire in 1174 by the French architect William of Sens, features soaring perpendicular Gothic vaulting in the nave, a stunning collection of medieval stained glass spanning the 12th to 15th centuries, and the site of Thomas Becket's martyrdom, marked by a candle-lit shrine in the northwest transept. The Bell Harry Tower, rising 72 meters, is a masterpiece of late Perpendicular Gothic architecture completed in 1498.
• •St Augustine's Abbey — These atmospheric ruins mark the site of one of the earliest monasteries in England, founded by Augustine himself in 598 AD as a Benedictine community and royal burial ground for the kings of Kent. The abbey was one of the most important centers of learning in Anglo-Saxon England before being dissolved by Henry VIII in 1538. The ruins reveal foundations spanning nearly a thousand years of monastic construction, and the site is part of Canterbury's collective UNESCO World Heritage designation.
• •The Canterbury Tales attraction — This immersive experience in the medieval St Margaret's Church recreates five of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales through life-sized tableaux, audio narration, and atmospheric effects. While designed for entertainment, it provides genuine historical context about 14th-century pilgrimage culture, medieval social hierarchies, and Chaucer's revolutionary decision to write in Middle English rather than French or Latin, helping democratize English literature.
• •Westgate Towers — Built in 1380 from Kentish ragstone, this is the largest surviving medieval gateway in England, standing 18 meters tall with twin drum towers and a vaulted passage. It served as the city's western entrance and later as the city jail for over 400 years. The small museum inside displays medieval weapons, armor, and prison graffiti, while the rooftop offers one of the best panoramic views over the old town and the cathedral.

• •Greyfriars Chapel — Built over the River Stour in 1267, this small Franciscan chapel is the oldest surviving Franciscan building in Britain. The friars deliberately built over the water as a symbol of humility, and the chapel's intimate timber-framed interior, reached by a garden path along the river, provides one of Canterbury's most peaceful and least-visited historic spaces.
• •The Dane John Gardens — This public park centers on a large Norman motte (artificial mound), possibly built on an earlier Bronze Age burial mound, that offers elevated views over the surviving sections of the medieval city walls. The gardens were landscaped in the 18th century with winding paths, a bandstand, and a monument commemorating local benefactor Alderman James Simmons.