Cathedral Gate Hotel
Canterbury, Kent

Pilgrims slept here! This 1438 building pre-dates even the adjoining sculpted Cathedral Gateway. The Cathedral itself is just 30 paces away as is the bustling commerce of the Buttermarket and a wealth of busy shops, cafes and restaurants. Despite our central location in the pedestrianised city centre, guests may drive to the front door for unloading before going on to park. Spread along twisting corridors among ancient tiled rooftops, the rooms enjoy modern amenities but still bespeak their medieval construction, with massive beams, sloping floors, and tell tale low doorways. Today's pilgrims get ensuite bathrooms, in room telephones, TV etc.

Rating -

Canterbury, England's most famous cathedral city of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and now a UNESCO world heritage site sits on the River Stour in one of the most attractive corners of rural Kent. It is easily reached by road, rail or sea, and has been welcoming visitors for thousands of years. The Norman cathedral still dominates the skyline as you approach the city, giving 21st century visitors the same sense of awe as their medieval counterparts. Making a pilgrimage was an important part of medieval life and pilgrim's flocked to the city to visit the shrine of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who was murdered in his cathedral. Today Canterbury still welcomes visitors from all four corners of the globe and has, with its many ancient buildings, shops, bars and restaurants, retained both an old world charm and a cosmopolitan vitality.