A visit our friends Chris and Angela Pearson in Dartford, principally to plan our trip to Denver & Yellowstone next year. On the Friday evening we went to see Flamec Oh, combining Flamenco and comedy. Very entertaining with brilliant performances from the dancers, singers and guitarist. It was at the Peacock Theatre in London near Lincolns Inn Fields. Large globe not far from the entrance.
On the Saturday Angela has booked a walking tour of Canterbury, a place neither of us had been before. Very compact with lots of history and beautiful buildings. We didn’t go inside the Cathedral, saving this for our next visit.
The River Stour runs through the city centre, and it is this that attracted the first settlers in pre-Roman times. After the Romans left, the city became the capital of the Saxon kingdom of Kent, Cant-wara-byrig (Canterbury). In AD 597, St Augustine, a missionary sent by Pope Gregory, arrived and was welcomed by King Ethelbert. Ethelbert was baptised by St Augustine and English Christianity was born. St Augustine founded Canterbury Cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The city has experienced turbulent times, from the invasion by the Danes, the Cathedral being destroyed by fire in 1067, but the most notable event was, following a dispute between King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket, 4 knights murdered Becket inside the Cathedral. Though a terrible tragedy for the Church, it led to the city enjoying centuries of prosperity, as pilgrims travelled from all over Europe to visit Becket’s shrine. Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote his most famous work, The Canterbury Tales, based on pilgrims travelling to the shrine.
In the late 16th century, weavers fleeing religious persecution settled in the city, giving rise to an industry which created employment and wealth. Half-timbered buildings with large upstairs windows one if the most famous is the crooked house. By the Cathedral you can find the private Kings School at £40k a year.
We learnt the difference between gargoyles (have spouts) and grotesques (no spout).
Lunch at a local restaurant and a little wander around the town before heading back to Dartford.
On our way home on Sunday, we stopped by the British Motor Museum for another look around to see the remainder of the exhibitions.