Historic city

Canterbury has been permanently inhabited since pre-Roman time. The city’s medieval history is easy to see in its streets and buildings and in the world-famous cathedral, which is the venue for the University’s degree ceremonies. The Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s church make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Abbey marked the rebirth of Christianity in southern England and the church, the oldest parish church in England, is still used for worship.

Cosmopolitan environment

Canterbury has a thriving cosmopolitan atmosphere as befits Britain’s closest city to continental Europe. There has been significant investment in recent years; the Whitefriars development transformed a substantial part of the city centre and is a fantastic shopping location with all the major high street names. The city has a unique charm, with past and present sitting comfortably together. There are plenty of specialist shops, as well as restaurants, pubs and bars.

Cultural centre

Canterbury is a cultural city with a strong focus on the arts. There are a number of galleries and the annual Canterbury Festival attracts thousands of visitors from across the UK and Europe. The city is also home to the Marlowe Theatre, which hosts national touring productions of West End shows and attracts top artists from the worlds of dance, music, comedy, drama, ballet and opera. The theatre has recently reopened following a massive redevelopment and firmly positions Canterbury as a place to enjoy a superb theatrical experience.

Night life

Canterbury has lots to offer in terms of great nightlife. Chill, is a well-established club with booths available for hire, celebrity guests/DJs and a unique mix of events including a weekly student night. Club Chemistry, near Canterbury East station, is a popular student haunt and features the very best in old-school classics and party, commercial R&B/Hip Hop and dance. Studio 41 is another favourite, with unmissable theme nights and regular guest appearances. There are also plenty of traditional pubs and bars, including The Farmhouse, which has live music nights and DJ sets.

Transport links

Canterbury has excellent transport links. It is only 56 miles from London on the M2/A2 and high-speed trains run regularly between Canterbury West and London St Pancras and take under an hour. Regular trains also run to and from London Victoria, Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge – journey time is approximately 90 minutes.

Dover is half an hour away to the south-east, and the nearest coastal town is Whitstable, six miles to the north. The Eurostar terminals at Ashford and Ebbsfleet are close by, meaning you can be in Paris, Brussels or Lille within two hours. The Channel ports are less than 20 miles away, and it is only 30 minutes’ drive to the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone.

The Medway campus is 30 miles away en route to London.

The region

Canterbury is situated in Kent, known as the ‘Garden of England’, and offers you the opportunity to live and study in one of the most picturesque areas of the country. East Kent has 120 miles of coastline, and a number of its beaches have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag for their environmental management, safety, and water quality. The nearest coastal town to Canterbury is Whitstable, where you can get involved in many water sports including windsurfing, yachting and water-skiing, as well as sampling its famous array of seafood. Kent is also renowned for its historical past and Canterbury is just a short distance from a number of castles and forts.

During their second and third years, many students choose to live in the local towns of Whitstable, Herne Bay and Faversham, which are on bus routes to Canterbury and have direct rail links to London.