Canterbury Pilgrim Trail: Gothic Shrines, Riverside Weavers & Anglo-Saxon Origins

Walk beneath England's largest surviving medieval stone city gate (built 1380 during the Hundred Years' War); admire the 60-foot drum towers and machicolations guarding the historic western approach to the city.

Slip down the stone stairs beside the River Stour to photograph the iconic 200-year-old oriental plane tree whose colossal, twisting boughs drape directly into the crystal-clear chalk stream waters, framed perfectly against the defensive drum towers.

Pause on Kings Bridge for the iconic photograph of this half-timbered 16th-century Tudor house overhanging the River Stour, where Flemish and Walloon Huguenot silk weavers lived and worked; view the historic river ducking stool.

Wander along Sun Street and Palace Street, Canterbury's artisan independent quarter; step inside the 18th-century, floor-to-ceiling timber labyrinth of The Chaucer Bookshop to browse collectible first editions and antique regional cartography.

The Buttermarket was the medieval market where pilgrims purchased leaden badges of St Thomas; gaze up at the 1517 Tudor Christ Church Gate above you, intricately carved with heraldic angels and Tudor roses marking the formal boundary into the Cathedral Precincts.

Walk straight to The Martyrdom to view the stark altar where Thomas Becket was slain in 1170; then descend to the 11th-century Romanesque crypt to inspect the bizarre beasts carved on the Norman capitals before ascending to the Quire to view the gilt bronze effigy on the tomb of Edward the Black Prince.

Sit beneath the beamed ceilings of this 17th-century coaching inn built directly over Roman vaults; order the slow-braised Kentish steak & ale pie paired with a pint of Faversham-brewed Spitfire amber ale.

Strictly note the early 15:00 closure here! This is the oldest parish church in continuous use across the English-speaking world; examine the outer chancel wall to see red Roman clay tiles reused by Queen Bertha in AD 580 before admiring the tub-shaped Saxon baptismal font where King Ethelbert was reportedly converted.

Founded in AD 598 by St Augustine as burial ground for the Kentish royal dynasty, these monastic ruins offer peaceful lawns free from the cathedral crowds; collect the included audio guide and stand within the footprint of the Saxon rotunda crypt facing the ruined Ethelbert Tower.

Formerly known as St Radigund's Hall, this 1370 pub was constructed on Roman foundations during the reign of Edward III and is the oldest inn in Canterbury; claim a fireside nook under massive medieval oak bents and sip a pint of local Whitstable Bay Pale Ale before taking the leisurely 8-minute stroll back to Canterbury West Station.

An easy 7-minute stroll (550 metres) from The Parrot brings you directly to Canterbury West for high-speed Southeastern Javelin trains whizzing back to London St Pancras International in just 54 minutes.