Canterbury

Canterbury, a cathedral city in southeast England, was a pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages. Ancient walls, originally built by the Romans, encircle its medieval centre with cobbled streets and timber-framed houses. Canterbury Cathedral, founded 597 A.D., is the headquarters of the Church of England and Anglican Communion, incorporating Gothic and Romanesque elements in its stone carvings and stained-glass windows.

Canterbury is a city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was until 1974 a county borough. It lies on the River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climate.

The city is a popular tourist destination. The city's economy is heavily reliant upon tourism, alongside higher education and retail. The city's population was over 55,000 in 2011. There is a substantial student population; the city has one of the highest proportions of students to permanent residents in the country.

During the Second World War, 10,445 bombs dropped during 135 separate raids destroyed 731 homes and 296 other buildings in the city, including the missionary college and Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School. 119 civilian people died through enemy action in the borough. The most devastating raid was on 1 June 1942 during the Baedeker Blitz. Before the end of the war, the architect Charles Holden drew up plans to redevelop the city centre, but locals were so opposed that the Citizens' Defence Association was formed; it swept to power in the 1945 municipal elections. Rebuilding of the city centre eventually began 10 years after the war.Read more