cpilgrim

So I've been burning up the message board lately-- my apologies! I'm going to the UK next week and am taking two daytrips, one to Salisbury, mainly to see Stonehenge, possibly to see the cathedral there, and one to Canterbury. I mentioned Salisbury in an earlier post and got some really great ideas for stuff to do in that town so I thought I would make a main thread and solicit more advice on what is good, what can be skipped, what is not-to-miss. I have no idea what to do in Canterbury aside from visiting the Cathedral itself, and the guide books I've read haven't given me many leads. We're travelling by train so any ideas would ideally be within walking distance of town. We're big literary buffs, and like historical stuff as long as it has context that we recognize-- hubby's not one for, say, visiting beautiful estates just because they are beautiful-- he prefers for them to have some historical relevance (too many years as a kid spent taking tours of things that he hardly remembers or cared about at the time I suppose!). Any place that has a really good tour is appreciated, since we have little innate knowledge of where we'd be.

Ideas for lunch and tea are greatly appreciated as well!

yk

I'm still not sure why you have no interest to visit the Salisbury Cathedral. It's a magnificent building, and the docents there offer fantastic (free) guided tours. You can also take the longer tower tour, which is not free and require pre-booking. And don't forget there's a copy of Magna Carta there: the best preserved copy among the 4 originals.

cpilgrim

I think I may be close to convincing DH to go to the cathedral...to be honest our reasons for shying away from the cathedral range from our budget (my goodness we are spending so much money on guided tours while in the UK- I am not used to this from visiting other countries where a majority of the things are just cultural, for example, going to Japan I barely attended any tours, just kinda milled around the towns and temples), a natural disinclination for tours (preferring to loaf around town and get a feel for a place), to a disinclination for "history for the sake of history"-- for example we aren't really doing any of the royal stuff in London because royalty doesn't particularly interest us, regardless of its historicity--, to a general disinterests in monuments (we both find the entirely of Washington DC quite creepy and unnecessary really-- why does a democracy need giant statues honoring mere mortals?). However, my husband does like to see things that are really, really old and the cathedral certainly qualifies! So I think I might have sold him on it. Now we'll get to see two Magna Cartas since we are also planning to visit the British Library galleries.

historytraveler

The docents at Salisbury are charming. Some make better guides than others, but all will provide a wonderful experience. The tower tour is also excellent. If you can't book in advance, at least try when you arrive at the cathedral.There is nothing about a visit to Salisbury and its cathedral that would reflect a " history for the sake of history" reaction. Salisbury is certainly not the oldest cathedral in England but, IMO, one of the most interesting simply because it was completed in such a short time span ( for medieval cathedrals). If you have time, try to attend Evensong as the Cathedral Girls Choir is one of the best.

rhkkmk

not far from canterbury is a very small hamlet town which we love to visit for a stroll around the old church and graveyard, a visit to the manner house (if open for the bird of prey show) and a meal in one of the small restaurants....

the town is called chillom (sp?)

texasbookworm

You don't HAVE to "do" a tour of the cathedral; I've been there with and without a tour and loved both times. Could take our times taking pics without one. With some self-education, you'd still enjoy and know what you are seeing. (There is of course a voluntary donation urged.) It is a spectatular place, full of history,--and the Magna Carta!

ThereseHeslop

Hi. I'm Head of Visits & Marketing at Canterbury Cathedral, and delighted to see you will be visiting our lovely Cathedral. Make sure you check opening times, www.canterbury-cathedral.org as there are lots of Carol Services going on at this time of the year, and visiting is restricted at times.
Please be assured there is plenty to see and do in Canterbury. There are guided tours throughout the day - our guides are experts at making the rich history come alive and you would enjoy your visit even more. Timing Mon-Fri 10.30, 12.00 and 14.00 hrs. Sat 10.30, 12.00, 13.30 hrs.
Other attractions are The Canterbury Tales Visitor Attractions, the beautiful ruins of St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church (latter two, together with the Cathedral form the Canterbury World Heritage Site), Roman Museum, Museum of Canterbury, The Goodshed (fabulous restaurant and full time farmers' market) and much more. You say you will travel by train: don't forget to pick up a 2-for-1 brochure at the station so that you can benefit from the 2-for-1 offers on most attractions (incl Cathedral). Canterbury's website, www.canterbury.co.uk has information on the many other things to see and do. You will love Canterbury and make sure you allow plenty of time for shopping!

hetismij

rhkkmk that is Chilham not Chillom. And the manor house is Chilham castle.

hetismij

One thing ThereseHeslop forgets to mention is the whopping 7 pound 50 entrance fee to Canterbury Cathedral.
You need to check for services for both Cathedrals of course.

Cholmondley_Warner

whopping 7 pound 50 entrance fee to Canterbury Cathedral.>>>>

Whopping? Whopping? Seven pounds 50 is $12, and for that you get to see one of the great cathedrals of the world (and the HQ of the world Anglican Communion (nicked off the real church – but lets not go there).

What would you think was a reasonable fee for a medieval masterpiece (to put it in perspective the London Dungeon charges £20)?

hetismij

I object to paying to see a church. I will always make a generous donation to churches I visit, but to be forced to pay for it is to me objectionable.
I have been to Canterbury and would, in all honesty, rather go to Salisbury, who ask for donations, but do not sit at the door demanding money.

A church cannot be compared to the London Dungeon.

Cholmondley_Warner

A church cannot be compared to the London Dungeon.>>>

It can if you’re just treating it as a tourist attraction.

They don’t charge for the services – just for gawpers. Which given the maintenance costs is as it should be.
(and in any case Winchester knocks both Canterbury and Salisbury into a cocked hat)

NanBug

Therese also just mentioned a 2 for 1 coupon.

cpilgrim

Hi all, thanks for the help with this. I am an enthusiastic, but artistically limited, budding photographer so I am for sure looking forward to getting a crack at these cathedrals. We are spending a ton on tours during our trip (thanks dollar!) but I am generally happy to pay for tours to cathedrals. Living in the US South I am used to far humbler churches. If you want your church simply to be a house of worship, a small humble building works as good as any other. So for me, it is a blessing that there are churches willing to take on the vast responsibility of keeping up a giant cathedral, especially Salisbury where the spire has had to be continually reworked. If not for the willingness of the church, and the tourism dollars, these places might spiral towards disrepair. Most churches don't have to take on such an administrative and financial burden. I can't imagine trying to keep up a 600 year old building in addition to regular church works!

We are buying the 2-for-1 pass in London on our first day. Glad to hear it will be of use elsewhere in the country! Thanks for the tip!

Cholmondley_Warner

it is a blessing that there are churches willing to take on the vast responsibility of keeping up a giant cathedral, especially Salisbury where the spire has had to be continually reworked>>>

There aren’t “churches” willing to do this. There’s one. The Church of England. They stole all the great churches from the Catholics during the Reformation.

They also nicked vast land-holdings and are the biggest landowners in Britain outside the Crown. That’s where the money comes from.

But I still think if you’re treating a cathedral as a tourist site you should pay for the privilege. (And BTW you will definitely have to pay for permission to take snaps).

Iowa_Redhead

I loved Salisbury when I was there in 2008 and will be going to Canterbury in a few weeks. Salisbury Cathedral is very nice and the room with the Magna Carta holds other really neat pieces. The view on the walk up to the cathedral is amazing. The grounds are well kept and it's a fantastic picture as you enter the large grassy area.


As for paying to visit a church/cathedral as a tourist, I have no problem with that. It takes a lot of funds to support such a building and all of the problems associated with a very old building. They also have to have a staff to sit there. If they're going to open the building for tourists and allow me to take pictures when they don't have a service, I'm happy to pay. I look at as my options are to either visit and pay, or not visit. If so many people visited without paying (most people don't give a donation unless required) the building I think is so fascinating and steeped in history would get run down quickly.

flanneruk

"A church cannot be compared to the London Dungeon"

Of course it can't. The London Dungeon costs far less to keep going than a major cathedral, and whereas the tiniest decay in York Minster or Westminster Abbey is a national tragedy, the total collapse of the Dungeon would be a cause for worldwide celebration (especially if the people who designed it were bured in the rubble).

See, it's all very well "objecting" to entry fees. But how else is England's extraordinary ecclesiatical heritage to be kept going? The CofE hasn't got the cash (that's the problem with letting priests marry: they cost so much more to maintain) and in Europe's most atheistic country, State funding would infuriate anti-religious bigots while proving to the Muslims' dickhead fringe that yet again they're being victimised.

yk

<i>We are buying the 2-for-1 pass in London on our first day. Glad to hear it will be of use elsewhere in the country! Thanks for the tip!</i>

I'm confused - do you mean this http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attrac...or1london.aspx ?

You don't "buy" this - you buy the correct transport pass and then present your vouchers (which you need to print out at home in advance) when you're at the attraction. Your London transport pass will not qualify for the Canterbury 2-for-1; but your train ticket TO Canterbury will. Again, you need to print out the voucher at home in advance of your visit. http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/canterbury-cathedral

Palenque

the town is called chillom (sp?)

Yes like hetismij says it's Chilham and yes it is a really dreamy small village all centered around a nice square, with on it Chilham Castle - there is a train station nearby with service from one of the Canterbury stations i believe.

Anyway i have been to Canterbury maybe 40 times and IMO there is a paucity of things to see apart from the stunning cathedral and its environs - a nice park and elite school behind it - otherwise you have the usual pedestrian shopping street - oft thronged with French day trippers and French school kids everytime i was there.

Canterbury to me is one of the most disappointing tourist meccas in Britain - but the cathedral makes the trip worthwhile.

bratsandbeer

You may want to check out the village of Lacock.
http://www.cotswolds.info/places/lacock.shtml
Movies are filmed there. Part of Harry Potter was filmed at the abbey in Lacock.
It is one of the villages I liked seeing. If you go there notice how short the doors are because people hundreds of years ago were so much shorter.