Canterbury (England): student life at language school / university

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< Up	Britain / Towns / Canterbury
A guide to Canterbury


Sections:	Summary
	Facts & figures
	Features
	Environment
	Entertainment
	Transport
	Further information
	Links

SUMMARY

A safe, small town famous for its historic cathedral, located in an area of pretty countryside. Conveniently located for trips to London or Paris.
For pictures of Canterbury and a guide to visiting there as a tourist, see: Travel/Tours/England/Canterbury

	The Cathedral and City of Canterbury (guide book for tourists) Author: John Brooks Publisher: Jarrold Publishing Date: April 1998		Canterbury & Kent (picture book) Photographer: Geraint Tellem Publisher: Jarrold Publishing Date: April 2002
	Canterbury Photomap (aerial photo of town with street names added) Publisher: Overview Mapping Date: September 2001		A-Z Street Atlas of Margate and Ramsgate, Canterbury & Whitstable (street map) Publisher: Geographers' A-Z Map Company Date: December 2001

FACTS & FIGURES

Subject	Name
Population:	45,700 (over 60 years old: 20.2%)
Region:	Kent, in South-East England
Location:	See: map
Visiting from abroad::	(see: Travel/Transport/Air)
Visiting from London:	90 kilometres east of London
	By train: 1 hour 30 minutes from Charing Cross or Victoria station. Cheap Day Return ticket (off-peak) with Young Person's Railcard (2002): £10.75
	By coach: 1 hour 50 minutes from Victoria Coach Station
Tourism:	A very popular tourist location
Language schools:	6 schools which are recognised by the British Council (2002)

FEATURES

- Canterbury Cathedral (but note that there are charges to enter the cathedral grounds)
- The ancient city walls
- Some beautiful architecture, but partly spoilt by unattractive buildings from the 1960s and 1970s
- Can be overcrowded in summer, due to the arrival of large numbers of tourists (including many French tourists)
- River Stour
- The population contains a larger than average number of old people, and is considered relatively conservative
- The town's name is famous because of the cathedral and Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales"

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ENVIRONMENT

The town contains many gardens (eg Westgate Gardens / Dane John Gardens), as well as the cathedral grounds

A safe atmosphere.
In 2001/02 there were 6.9 offences of violence against people per 1,000 people, much lower than the English average of 10.8.
In 2000, Canterbury was ranked the 165th most deprived out of the 354 districts in England.

Quite expensive accommodation

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ENTERTAINMENT

Lots of pubs
Not much night-life, unless you are a student at one of the nearby universities

Local events include:

Canterbury Festival: http://www.canterburyfestival.co.uk
Kent Beer Festival: http://www.kentbeerfestival.co.uk

Nearby attractions include:

River Stour - walks along the river
Richborough Castle -
Lovely countryside to the south-west, around Chilham and Challock
The North Downs Way - a series of connected walks in the neighbouring area and along the coast

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TRANSPORT

Bus: Bus services are limited, especially at night
Car:
Train: There are two train stations (Canterbury West and Canterbury East) close to the centre of town
Bicycle:
Walking: Easy to get around the town on foot. The central area has been pedestrianised, but can be full of tourists in July and August

FURTHER INFORMATION

Tourism
South East England Tourist Board: http://www.seetb.org.uk
Canterbury tourist information: http://www.canterbury.co.uk

Local government
See: http://www.canterbury.gov.uk

Universities
University of Kent at Canterbury: http://www.ukc.ac.uk
Canterbury Christ Church University College: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk

Careers services
Canterbury Christ Church Careers & Student Development: http://careers.cant.ac.uk

Town guides
Canterbury tour: http://www.hillside.co.uk/tour
Mushroom maps & guides: http://www.mushroompublishing.com/maps/canterbury.html
Entertainment in Canterbury: http://www.canterburypubs.co.uk
Kent Online: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/aroundkent/details.asp?village=15926

Local services
Local Life: http://www.locallife.co.uk/canterbury/index.asp

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LINKS

Canterbury as a tourist destination (photos and information): Travel/Tours/England/Canterbury
Language school towns: Britain/Towns

Home page: Home

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© UK Student Life 2002-2009

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