loving life in my 50s

The stunning city of Canterbury on the north coast of Kent is a fabulous place to spend a few days. Like most places where there are universities, there’s a vibrant vibe when walking around the city centre. There’s a great range of restaurants, pubs and shops – many of which are in historic buildings.

Canterbury has been occupied since at least 4,000 BC

The city has been occupied since at least 4,000 BC. It became a Roman town around AD 70 until the fifth century. The Jutes then arrived from Germany, followed by the Normans in 1066 who, for the most part, settled here permanently.

Sections of the Roman wall that once surrounded the city can still be seen, although much of it was rebuilt in the Middle Ages. To this day, the city walls (with towers and gates) are among the best preserved in the UK and are well worth a visit. The ruins of Canterbury Castle, built between 1085 and 1125, are also worth seeing.

Many other wonderful historic buildings have survived the centuries, such as the Old Weavers House (dating back to the 14^th century) and the House of Agnes (a medieval coaching inn where Charles Dickens set several scenes of David Copperfield).

Canterbury Cathedral

The spectacular Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England, dating back to 597 AD. Fortunately it was still open during the pandemic but new lockdown measures may change that temporarily.

We explored the Romanesque crypt dating back to the 11^th century and stood on the exact place where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170. (Following the assassination, the city has been a major pilgrimage site for more than 800 years.)

It’s a truly magnificent building

It’s a truly magnificent building, inside and out (although there’s a lot of scaffolding at the moment for maintenance). Everywhere I looked, I saw ornate artwork in the sculptures; ribbed vaulting; intricately carved pillars and tombs; and in the faded fresco on the ceiling of the crypt.

And of course, there are the magnificent stained glass windows, some of which date back to the 12th century. The cathedral is immense and oozes grandeur, especially around the pulpit, the choir and the nave.

Visiting the cathedral with my daughter 11 years ago, we were lucky enough to stumble on a choir from the Netherlands whose singing stopped us in our tracks (the acoustics were also amazing). My daughter and I were the only audience (it was a rehearsal) and we sat on a pew, lost in time and space as we relished the beautiful music.

If you’d like to visit the cathedral, it’s best to book tickets online prior to going, however if you attend some of the services, there’s no charge and no need to book.

All this exploring can make a girl hungry, and thankfully we were spoilt for choices of places to eat out in Canterbury. We chose to go Turkish at the Mezze Bar and Grill, where we shared delicious cold and warm mezze platters served by happy, friendly staff. We’ll be back.

Whitstable oysters are the best!

After reading Sarah Water’s Tipping the Velvet many years ago, I’ve wanted to visit the fishing town of Whitstable and try its most famous food. I treated myself to six oysters – raw with only a squeeze of lemon juice – and they did not disappoint! They were large, tender, the perfect texture and tasted so fresh that I could still taste the sea. Without doubt, they were some of the best oysters I’ve ever tasted!

In Whitstable, oysters are for sale in the many shacks grouped along the water’s edge. You can sit outside overlooking the sail boats, fishermen’s huts, cobble-stone shore and the oyster beds in the bay, while savouring the oysters with a beer or champagne!

Whitstable is packed full of quaint little shops, cafes and pubs

It’s not such a large town but Whitstable is packed full of quaint little shops, cafes and pubs selling just about anything you could wish for. The architecture throughout the town varies enormously, with many eye-catching buildings along the high street in particular. It’s a popular tourist destination, so if you can visit outside of school holidays, it will be far less busy.

While there, we dropped into the warm and cosy Tudor Tea Room for a late lunch of ‘soup of the day’ (thick, creamy vegetable soup with warm slices of baguette) and a bacon and brie baguette – thoroughly enjoyable.

Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate

Keen to visit other famous seaside towns, we decided on a little road trip for the next day. From Canterbury, our first stop was Ramsgate, which has a large marina and fishing fleet. It has a blue flag beach; a reconstructed Viking longship; and the deep tunnels where locals sheltered during the Second World War are now open to the public (although we didn’t visit on this occasion).

Next stop was Dumpton Gap Beach at Broadstairs, famous for its white chalk cliffs. These cliffs along the south east coast have fascinated me since I was a child, when Mum used to sing The White Cliffs of Dover. I’ve always wanted to see and touch them – here was my opportunity and I took it!

The white cliffs were worn smooth, cool and soft to touch. In fact I slightly scratched the chalk and it caught under my fingernail! Apparently over the past 150 years they have eroded at a much higher rate – of around 22 to 32cm each year. In time, especially with climate change and rising sea levels, many of the cliffs we see now will have disappeared…

Under a stormy sky, we walked along the sandy beach, with the sea on our left and the white cliffs to our right. Every so often shafts of sunlight beamed down through the dark clouds onto the sea or the nearby offshore wind farm.

Seagulls squawked and plummeted while children played in rock pools and dogs raced along the sand. As I stopped to admire the view, a rainbow suddenly appeared from behind the white cliff. It was just beautiful.

If the tide is right, it’s possible to walk the 6.8 miles from Margate to Ramsgate on the beach (I’d love to do that another time!) We had more exploring to do (and maybe we were getting very hungry), so we only walked 1.5 miles towards Ramsgate then turned back.

The lovely seaside town of Margate was our last stop for the day. It also has wonderful old buildings, and a harbour that’s been used for more than 700 years.

As we were by the sea, we went in search of fish and chips, and found Peter’s Fish Factory across from the harbour. Hands down, they were the best fish and chips I’ve had in the UK! We ate them al fresco, enjoying the view and sunshine warm on our faces. It may sound clichéd, but I really do love being by the seaside.

Blean Woods National Nature Reserve

The beautiful Blean Woods National Nature Reserve was our last stop before going home. We went for an enjoyable walk to take in the splendour of autumnal hues while they lasted.

Taking some narrow paths through the woods, we discovered colourful trees and bushes in various stages of leaf shedding. Also we found some bright orange and red fungi which looked as though they had popped out of a children’s fairy tale instead of growing naturally on the forest floor.

It was time to return home, feeling fully refreshed and joyful. If you haven’t already explored Canterbury, I can highly recommend it! There is so much to see and do in the city, and as we discovered, it is well-located to visit surrounding towns and villages along the coast and throughout the lush, green countryside of Kent.

For more information on Kent, click here.

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