Westgate, Canterbury

Canterbury Guildhall, formerly the Church of the Holy Cross, is a municipal building in St Peter's Place in Canterbury, Kent, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Canterbury City Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

Canterbury city walls are a sequence of defensive walls built around the city of Canterbury in Kent, England. The first city walls were built by the Romans, probably between 270 and 280 AD. These walls were constructed from stone on top of an earth bank, and protected by a ditch and wall towers. At least five gates were placed into the walls, linked to the network of Roman roads across the region. With the collapse of Roman Britain, Canterbury went into decline but the walls remained, and may have influenced the decision of Augustine to settle in the city at the end of the 6th century. The Anglo-Saxons retained the defensive walls, building chapels over most of the gates and using them to defend Canterbury against Viking incursions.The Norman invaders of the 11th century took the city without resistance, and by the 12th century the walls were ill-maintained and of little military value. Fears of a French invasion during the Hundred Years' War led to an enquiry into Canterbury's defences in 1363. The decision was taken to restore the city walls and for around the next thirty years the old Roman defences were freshly rebuilt in stone, incorporating the older walls where they still remained. 24 towers were constructed around the circuit, and over the coming years many of the gatehouses were rebuilt in stone and brick, defended by some of the first batteries of guns in England. Parts of the wall were deliberately damaged by Parliament during the English Civil War of the 17th century and the doors to the city's gates burnt; with the restoration of Charles II in 1660, new doors were reinstalled. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Canterbury's city walls came under extensive pressure from urban development. All the gates but one, West Gate, were destroyed and extensive parts of the walled circuit were knocked down to make way for new roads and buildings. German bombing during the Second World War caused further damage. Despite this, the remaining walls and gatehouse survived post-war redevelopment intact and some portions were rebuilt entirely. Over half the original circuit survives, enclosing an area of 130 acres (53 ha), and archaeologists Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham consider the city wall to be "one of the most magnificent in Britain".

The Kent Museum of Freemasonry, is a museum in St Peters Place, Canterbury, Kent with a rare collection of masonic exhibits of national and international importance. It tells the history of Freemasonry from its inception through to the modern day, which emphasis on Kent, its Lodges and their origins and has possibly the finest collection of Masonic material in the UK outside London. This includes the unique 19th-century stained glass windows which originally adorned the old Freemasons’ Hall in London.

Westgate Hall is a hundred-year-old drill hall and community space in a Conservation area of Canterbury, Kent, notable for hosting community events. The Hall was threatened with closure or demolition in 2009, but a group of local people fought to save it and created the venue it is today. The building is now leased by Curzon Cinemas. Westgate Hall now hosts a range of events from parties to conferences, markets and fairs including the Westgate Hall Market.

The Marlowe Memorial is a statue and four statuettes erected in memory of the playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe in 1891 in Canterbury, England. The memorial was commissioned by a Marlowe Memorial Committee, and comprises a bronze statue, The Muse of Poetry sculpted by Edward Onslow Ford, standing on a plinth decorated with statuettes of actors playing Marlowe roles. The statue is now situated outside the city's Marlowe Theatre.

The Marlowe Theatre is a 1,200-seat theatre in Canterbury named after playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was born and attended school in the city. It was named a Stage Awards, 2022 UK Theatre of the Year. The Marlowe Trust, a not for profit company and registered charity, operates the theatre.

Canterbury West railway station is a Grade II listed railway station, and the busier of the two stations in Canterbury in Kent, England. The station as well as all services are operated by Southeastern with both main line and high speed trains serving the station. The station and its line was built by the South Eastern Railway and opened in 1846. It was the first mainline station in Canterbury, while the later Canterbury East was built by the London, Chatham & Dover Railway. There was also a connection to the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway, the first railway in Kent, and later to the Elham Valley Railway; these have both since closed.

All Saints Cottage, on All Saints Lane, in Canterbury, Kent, England is a building dating from the 16th century. Its origins and original purpose and configuration are all uncertain; it may have been designed as a single house, or as a range of smaller cottages, or have served some commercial or religious function. It is built of timber, and has two storeys, the upper level being supported on joists and brackets carved as "fabulous beasts". All Saints Cottage is a Grade II listed building.

The Canterbury Heritage Museum (formerly the Museum of Canterbury) was a museum in Stour Street, Canterbury, South East England, telling the history of the city. It was housed in the 12th-century Poor Priests' Hospital next to the River Stour. The museum exhibited the Canterbury Cross and contained a gallery dedicated to Rupert the Bear, whose creator Mary Tourtel lived in Canterbury. It held regular events and exhibitions of local and national interest. The museum closed in 2018. It has since re-opened as The Marlowe Kit; an escape room, exhibition and creative space.

Blackfriars, Canterbury was a friary of the Dominican Order in Kent, England. Founded in 1237 it lay either side of the River Stour in the west of the city, adjacent to where the Marlowe Theatre now stands. Some buildings still remain and are used for community purposes.

Fleur de Lis Hotel was a 13th century hotel in the city of Canterbury, Kent, England. It is recorded that Charles Dickens stayed there. The hotel was eventually demolished in 1958.