poss

I'm having trouble finding information (other than the Lodge's own P.R.) on these accommodations. Hoping that someone can help.
We're looking for a very comfortable, as quiet as possible (this is very impt) place to stay and unjet-lag after our transAtlantic flight and before our Dover-departing cruise in September. This Lodge seems like it might fit the bill, but there are virtually no postings on it on any sight I've seen.
Knowledgeable feedback very much appreciated!

janisj

being in the grounds of the cathedral would seem to make it "quiet" in a noisy sort of way. I mean there would be no traffic noise, but there would be people about, plus the bells and such. It would be a great place to stay location-wise. It is pretty new and is really geared to church groups and small conferences, which might be why not many reviews out there yet.

poss

Thanks for replying. Bells are exactly the kind of thing I was concerned about. I asked the reservation office about that and they said no-- but I somehow didn't trust the response. Wish I could get solid info on that and other such details.

janisj

Well, if they say no bells - they probably know what's what. Maybe double-glazed windows and a/c make it quiet - it is a VERY modern place.

But you know - anywhere in Canterbury - you will hear church bells . . . . .

poss

janisj: thanks once agian for your responses. In pressing the point with the Cathedral Lodge folks, I was distressed to learn that, indeed, the bells go off every hour from 7:00 A.M. to 11 P.M.! (and that they can be heard in the rooms) I was appalled because when I inquired I emphasized that quiet was paramount to us; the response was yes, yes,we're a very quiet and restful place. Now I don't' know what to do. We'll need somewhere to stay for that one night and was hoping it could be Canterbury, because I've always wanted to see the town and the cathedral. But we also want to be able to retire early and to sleep as late as possible the next morning. Since the bells will surely make that wish impossible in Canterbury, I wonder if you might be able to suggest somewhere else in the Canterbury-Dover vicinity that'd be very pleasant for the day and night. MAIN THING is that the accommodations be as silent and comfortable as possible. Luxury not necessary, but quiet paramount. Thanks!

Ackislander

Dear Poss,
I hate to tell you this, but all cathedrals and virtually all Anglican churches have bells, and most of them ring the hours, 24 hours per day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Some of them ring the quarter hour as well.

If you are really unlucky, you may find yourself staying in a town where bell-ringing is a hobby, and bell ringers may ring changes for many, many hours on a particular day. Dorothy Sayers' novel "The Nine Tailors" was about a man driven insane and killed by the sounds of a change-ringing, but of course he was actually in the bell tower itself, not in a lodge with double glazing.

You will also find church bells ringing the hours and calls to services in churches all over Europe. Here in Nantucket, right in the USA, the Unitarian Church bell does the same thing, day in and day out.

What I am more concerned about is how you will manage the ship's whistle on your cruise? The one on our ferry boats can be heard more than half a mile away. I guarantee that unless you have a windowless interior cabin, you will hear it on many occasions.

Methinks you might want to invest in a white sound machine and some earplugs. It could be a long trip.

janisj

I personally think you may be taking the "silence" thing a bit too far. Church bells are a fact of life. And even if you are far from a church - there will be other people, or cars, or lorries or, or, or.

Very vew hotels will be "coffin quite" . . . .

poss

Sorry that each of you has taken such an unfriendly and sour tack. In fact, we do travel with earplugs since we know ourselves to be perhaps more noise-sensitive than other folks. It's precisley for that reason that I always try to find the quietest kind of accommodations I can. We travel extensivley and are almost always delighted with our accommodations. I will continue to make inquiries hoping to get helpful responses rather than snideness or put-downs.

janisj

HUH!! What the heck are you talking about?? Show me one unfriendly word - ONE?? We are trying to Help you fer cryin out loud. I took the time to look up the place and give you 3 very sensible answers. And Ackislander gave you a very good suggestion re a white noise machine.

There was not one rude, snide, unfriendly comment.

Wrong side of the bed? or just too sensitive by half??? Either way you owe both of us an appology . . . . . But I'm not holding my breath. Sheesh . . . . .

Ackislander

No, my comments were definitely snide. Even living in Nantucket, a place where people who own Gulfstream V's look down on people who only own Gulfstream IV's, I rarely come across someone with such a sense of entitlement. It is very hard not to puncture such a tempting balloon of self-absorption and sense of privilege. No doubt I shall have to answer for it at the Pearly Gates, but then we all have the same accomodations there, don't we?

janisj

well - your white noise machine <u>was</u> a good suggestion

Llewellyn

Try Great Weddington. Kaye Gunn does the flowers at Cantrebury Cathedral.

Contact information
Kate &amp; Neil Gunn
Great Weddington,
Ash,
Canterbury,
Kent
CT3 2AR


Tel : 01304 813407 or 01304 812531
Fax : 01304 812531
E-mail : [email protected]
Website : www.greatweddington.co.uk