I lived in Kent known as the “Garden of England’ for over 27 years before moving to Nashville, Tennessee. There are hundreds of stories to tell, such as Kent’s picturesque towns , the historical places, it’s dazzling coastline, sandy beaches such as Joss Bay in Broadstairs. I will start with Canterbury.
Canterbury started as an Iron Age settlement until the Romans invaded in AD 43.
Canterbury Cathedral was founded in 597 when St.Augustine was sent from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great.The Cathedral is spectacular ,it is of a Gothic style.It was built in stone imported from France by the Normans.
I went to my daughter’s graduation ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral. One enters via Christ Church Gate, through a pair of huge 17th century oak gates. Inside the cathedral there is magnificent stone work decorated with angels carrying shields. There are impressive tombs to see. Historians have dated a stained glass window at Canterbury Cathedral back to the 12th century.
The Romans erected the first walls around Canterbury between 270 and 290 AD. The medieval walls surrounded the entire city of Canterbury. Although the entire wall is not surrounding Canterbury now they are the best preserved in the country. I took time to walk the city walls
Another place to explore is Dane John Gardens within Canterbury’s city walls and dates back to 1551,it has a mound which history records prove that it was there in the 1st century.I wandered to the top of the mound to see a wonderful view of the city.
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer were very popular in medieval England because they were written in Middle English , a language that developed after the Norman invasion.
More stories on Kent will follow at another time
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