Our home in Kent lies on the ancient Pilgrim’s Way from St
Margaret’s Bay to Canterbury, and we own an adjacent property called Pilgrim’s
Cottage. We are therefore constantly
reminded of Canterbury’s role in the history of our country and particularly
its international importance as a place of pilgrimage. Travel to Canterbury in
the modern era is quick and speedy by high speed train or Motorway and
Canterbury continues to attract huge numbers of visitors, particularly with its
close proximity to France and Belgium.
A group of us greeted each other on the platform at King’s
Cross on Thursday and in just over a hour were whisked to Canterbury, in good time to
walk to the Abode Hotel, check in and prepare ourselves to meet our city guide,
Philippe Lecampe. Philippe, himself a
Liveryman of the Blacksmith’s Company, gave us a most amusing and seriously
educational tour of the noisy City centre and the quieter Cathedral precincts. Encouraging
us to look up at the buildings atop the usual modern shops, we gained a real
understanding of how Canterbury must have looked in former days, and to use to
which buildings were put as pilgrim hostels.
Despite heavy bombing in the war, Canterbury has retained many interesting
medieval buildings – and in some ways reflects how London must have looked
prior to the Great Fire and the greater move to redevelopment.
After the tour, conducted in a rare bout of sunshine, we returrned
to our hotel for a cream tea that was most welcome and went down very
well. Several of us then left for
Evensong in the Cathedral Quire and listened to the boy choristers singing the responses,
psalm, anthem etc. Always a relaxing and uplifting way to spend
a half hour. On our return we got
together for drinks in the hotel bar prior to being joined for dinner by our
good friends the Rt Rev Michael Turnbull
and his wife, Brenda. Michael kindly
said grace and later regaled us with some interesting aspects of the Church of
England.
After dinner we walked in the gathering darkness back to the
Buttermarket to meet the Very Revd Robert Willis DL, Dean of the Cathedral. Robert was waiting for us at the Christ Gate and
invited us in to the unlit Cathedral.
Presenting each of us with a candle as our only illumination the Dean eventually
guided us to the place where Thomas a Becket had been murdered. We next moved down to the atmospheric Crypt
where many services are conducted and then later up into the Quire and climbing
up several steps eventually reached the Chair of St Augustine into which Justin
Welby was recently installed and enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury by the
Dean. It was a memorable visit into a
cathedral in the peace of the night which everyone found an emotional
experience.
Friday morning found us at The Tower House visiting the
newly installed Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Mrs Heather Taylor. Women power was alive and kicking in
Canterbury for the Deputy Mayor and Sheriff was Mrs Ann Taylor – no relation,
and the Lady Mayoress was Mrs Linda Taylor, daughter in law to Heather. TheThree Taylors! The Lord Mayor gave us an introduction to the
regalia and treasures of the City, including a really fine sword and Mace. The visit included coffee and later we were
shown the Guildhall where the Council meets.
Our next stop was the Freemasons Museum of Kent for a quick visit and
then on to the Beaney Institute where there are some fine oil paintings of
cattle and sheep by Thomas Cooper.
We met for lunch at 12.30pm in a private room overlooking
the exquisite 16th Century Weavers Houses on the river. After a lunch in which we enjoyed fine
fellowship I had to say my goodbyes and depart with the Consort in an effort to
reach Telford by road in good time for a Black Tie Dinner.
We made it! By all
accounts all enjoyed their 24 hour sojourn in Canterbury, which certainly
looked splendid bathed in sunshine throughout the visit.
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| With our tour guide in Canterbury |
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| Inside the Cathedral after our tour with the Dean and cat |
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