Famous for the medieval book “The Canterbury Tales,” Canterbury has been a place of pilgrimage for several centuries. Most people come here for the spectacular 11th century cathedral, one of the most impressive in Europe. The English Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in the cathedral and there is a memorial to him. Don’t miss the crypt where you can see recent archaeological excavations still taking place.
The compact town center retains much of its medieval layout and is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways, closed to vehicles during the day. The architecture of the town varies from Tudor to Victorian with many picturesque half timbered buildings now housing quaint shops. The town seems to have more than its share of tea rooms and pubs, if you need a break from all that shopping and sightseeing.
There is also the Disney style ride Canterbury Tales Visitor attraction, where the magic of animatronics allow you to step back in time to join the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer on his famous pilgrimage to Canterbury. Canterbury also has sections of its original town walls and a ruined castle dating from the 11th century, as well as a small museum documenting the town’s history and Roman origins.
(1 hour, 20 minutes by train from Victoria or Charing Cross)
Oxford
Known the world over as a seat of learning, and well deserving of its nickname “City of Dreaming Spires” Oxford is one of England’s most historic, yet liveliest small towns. Most visitors to Oxford go to see the many universities, some of which date back 700 years. Most of the colleges welcome visitors, and it costs nothing to step inside the hallowed walls of Oxford’s colleges. Christchurch is perhaps the most famous college, well known for its beautiful chapel and stained glass windows. Magdalen College, another of the older institutions has its own deer park.
For a small town, Oxford has several world class museums. The Ashmolean is famed for its collection of art and antiques. The Pitt River Museum is well known for its science and its rather unique ethnography exhibits – some of its highlights include a 40 foot high Indian totem pole and a collection of shrunken heads. Not surprisingly, Oxford was home to some of England’s most famous scholars and writers – one of the most popular haunts in the town is a shop which Lewis Carroll featured in “Alice through the Looking Glass”
But one of the highlights of Oxford is simply its atmosphere of college life. The thousands of students that live and study in Oxford ensures the town has a great selection of pubs, live music venues, second hand bookshops and health food stores. Even if you thought you had finished studying – you may be tempted to go back to school.