Canterbury tourist information is helpful when planning an excursion to this historic city. This area has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was an important settlement for the early Celtic people.

The Romans captured the site in the first century AD, named it Durovernum Cantiacorum, and set about building it up as an important Roman town complete with baths, a forum, theatre, and a temple.

Later, they added earth banks and gates as protection from the barbarian invaders.

When the Romans left Britain in 410 AD, they abandoned the town and eventually an Anglo-Saxon community grew up there and called it Canterbury.

When Pope Gregory sent Augustine to convert King Aethelbert of Kent to Christianity, he chose the town as the site for an abbey and cathedral and Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.

These days Canterbury Cathedral (pictured) dominates the town both because of its size and the weight of its history. It became a popular pilgrimage spot after the Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered inside the cathedral in 1170.

Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" famously detailed one such medieval pilgrimage and you can see life sized models of the characters from this novel on display at St. Margaret's Church.

Even in modern times, the pilgrims still flock to Canterbury. More than one million visitors come to see the cathedral each year.

The nearby St. Martin's Church and the ruins of St. Augustine's Abbey are also popular destinations and together these three structures make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another building of note is the Old Synagogue at Canterbury. It is one of only two remaining Egyptian Revival synagogues in existence and is now used as a Music Room for the King's School.

The King's School in Canterbury is said to be the oldest school in Britain, having been originally established by Augustine in 597 AD and renamed after Henry VIII in the 16th century.

Canterbury tourist information will tell you there are many things to see here, and they are surely correct.

Photo courtesy: gailf548

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