Advantages: First rate entertainment
Disadvantages: Not a single one!

...in Canterbury really come to life, especially through the medium of this DVD. The characters are in turns venal, crass, rude, diplomatic, churlish, bombastic, chivalrous, angry and friendly as they each tell their own tales on the long trek that made up the pilgrimage. And they are all vividly and sharply drawn. From life, or so it seems. We both seemed to recognise the characters in people that we know or knew at one time or another. The vocal talents are provided by the crème de la crème of British acting of stage, cinema screen and television. Sean Bean, Richard Griffiths, Robert Lindsay, Tim McInnery, Bill Nighy, Bob Peck, Liz Smith and Imelda Staunton all feature on this superlative DVD. The tales shown on the DVD are: The Squire's tale, the Cannon's Servant's tale, the Miller's tale, The Reeve's tale, The Nun's Priest's tale... Read review

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Advantages: Lots of history, nice restaurants
Disadvantages: Very busy in summer, quiet nightlife

...I have recently returned to Bonnie Scotland after spending a year in Canterbury. Although it could hardly be held on a par with 'A Year in Provence' it was certainly enjoyable. Getting There ------------------ I don't like to start with a negative, but getting to Canterbury, isn't the easiest. Situated in deepest, darkest Kent the nearest airport is London Gatwick though London Stansted is also a reasonable option. Getting a train to Canterbury will probably involve a change in train in London which is not fun at rush hour with two large suitcases. I have to admit I am not too sure about buses. I think that would involve a change in London too. To be honest, not the most environmentally method, but probably easiest is by car. Canterbury is found at the end of the M2. A relatively quiet road, the route is generally clear... Read review

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Advantages: Wonderful experience, excellently presented, combination of sounds, smells and sights
Disadvantages: Can be busy in summer

...***** Firstly, I’ll just make clear from the outset, that this op is on only one attraction in Canterbury, the Canterbury Tales Visitor Attraction. I have given Ciao a few product suggestions of late, but was advised to write about the attraction under the category of the nearest town, since they only wanted the major cities (Edinburgh, London etc) to have subcategories of attractions and museums. I’ve just explained this so you don’t rate me as UH straight off for writing about only one aspect of this fabulous historical city – believe me, if I could write about everything that Canterbury had to offer, I would! I decided however that since this is one of my favourite places to visit whenever I return down south, it really was worthy of a mention in its own right. ***** I am pretty sure that most people... Read review

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Advantages: Absolutely beautiful
Disadvantages: Too many tourists

...You all know what it is like after Christmas, the desire to flee the country but not a penny to do it with. This year I decided that after Christmas I would take myself on a short break to Canterbury to try and rid myself of the post Christmas blues. Living in Ipswich Canterbury really isnt that difficult to get to. Having taken the train to London and catching a connection to Canterbury the only difficult task was remembering that only the first four carriages of the train went to Canterbury! I was very disappointed when I arrived at Canterbury West train station, it was in such bad repair that it seemed almost derelict and the smell was so vile that London seemed a more desirable venue for my mini break. I was soon in more joyful mood when a very chirpy taxi driver sped away from the station and through the windy roads... Read review

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Advantages: All that history, Visually attractive city, Lots to see and do
Disadvantages: Expensive, Crowded, Can be hard to find accommodation

...In 1904, Virginia Woolf was quoted as saying, "there is no lovelier place in the world than Canterbury…and I have seen Venice too". Canterbury sits on the River Stour in an attractive corner of rural east Kent. It is a city steeped in history and there is no doubt that it is certainly a picturesque place - the heart of Canterbury, inside the old city walls, is brimming with medieval and Tudor architecture, churches and pretty river scenes. The streets are narrow and a great many are pedestrianised; there is an abundance of individual, speciality shops, good cafes, restaurants, pubs, ice cream parlours and other eateries. (My personal favourite being the Sugarboy traditional sweetshop on Palace Street - take a look at www.sugarboy.co.uk). There is a maze of intriguing side streets to explore. Canterbury city centre is small (it is only... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Historical benefits,good attraction for all the family to learn about
Disadvantages: Mnay steps to climb.Apart form that none

...Well as my Dover castle review seemed to go down rather well with ratings received, and this is a rather local attraction to me, I thought I would do a review won Canterbury cathedral. I can view this beautifully from my office window on my construction site, which I think is a privilege really. History of the Cathedral Well I should think most people know something about the cathedral and its history but I will merely scratch the surface of it in this review im sure? The Cathedral was founded in 597AD by St Augustine who landed on the south east corner of England as a missionary from Rome. St Augustine was given a site in Canterbury to set up his church and this was St Martins, which still stands today. This was given to him by the then King of England Ethelbert. This Church was used throughout the Roman occupation... Read review

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Advantages: Lovely cathedral,nice Medieval architecture
Disadvantages: Pricey,crowded with visitors in the summer

...Canterbury,home of the mother Church of England,is a city I know very well since my father was born at Ashford,which is only 14 miles away.It is a surprisingly small city, but during the summer months is full of tourists. There is quite a lot to see and do in this city. Pride of place has to go to the Cathedral,which is quite a beautiful building. The Canterbury Tales exhibition is worth a visit and some of the medieval structures in the city are very attractive. The modern architecture is,in my view, often not very inspired. Shopping wise Canterbury is good. Besides housing several large department stores,there are a wide range of specialist shops,including a number of good book shops.The student population is quite large here since there is the University of Kent, Christ Church College and the well known public school,Kings' School... Read review

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Advantages: History, Architecture, Good visitor facilities
Disadvantages: Pricey to get in, Pay extra for tour, Crowded

...into the 20th century. This is a living museum of architecture. However, the two things that Canterbury Cathedral is most famous for are not actually related to the architecture of the building. The first of these is the murder/martyrdom (delete as appropriate) of Thomas Becket in 1170. Becket was appointed as Archbishop by his friend King Henry II, and appointed with the task of bringing the Church to heel under the monarchy; he did the reverse, arguing strongly for the rights of the Church and the supremacy of canon law above civil law (Church over state). I'm sure you all are familiar with the line, "will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?", although interestingly enough no contemporary documents actually record the King saying this. (Although he was noted as having a tantrum on Christmas Day 1170 and shouting "what miserable drones... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful cathedral and close(ish) to beaches
Disadvantages: Poor night life

...I have just returned from a visit to Canterbury. What can I say about it..... Good points- The cathedral and grounds of King's school are absolutely stunning. Even someone like me who dosn't look at buildings much was absolutely amazed at the beauty of this town. The town itself is surrounded by the old walls which makes for a lovely walk. With both large stores and small quaint shops selling everything from postcards to tarot cards there is plenty to see and do. Whitstable, Margate and Hearne Bay are a short drive away and provide some lovely walks or just an area to sit on the beach and eat ice-cream! Surrounded by lovely Kent countryside. Bad points- Although a lot of pubs and wine-bars in Canterbury itself, there was a lack of night-clubs and late bars to drink/ dance. This is the only thing I can think of which (in my eyes... Read review

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Advantages: Much more to see than you'd believe
Disadvantages: Can get a bit busy

...Well, first things first - we were quite lucky when we went to Canterbury Cathedral: we were shown round by my cousin, who works for the Cathedral itself. But don't panic if your cousin doesn't work for the Cathedral - because there are guided tours available for anyone who wants to go in. Just look for the notice at the Welcome Centre. We used to live near York, and, naturally, York Minster was somewhere we'd been before. Well, look, this is NOTHING like York Minster. It's a huge site, much larger than the Minster, and because it was part of a monastery in the past, it's quiet and away from the traffic (unlike the Minster, as you'll know if you've been there). We were quite lucky when we went round; because there was a wedding going on in the crypt, we couldn't go in there, so we decided to go to the pub for lunch and come back... Read review

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