Our tour began in the medieval city of Canterbury. Canterbury Cathedral is famous as the location of the martyrdom of Thomas Becket in 1170. The cathedral is undergoing considerable renovation. We were able to visit and talk with some of the conservators who are restoring stained glass in the cathedral. Digging outside the cathedral has turned up evidence of previously unknown structures so archealogists were present conducting their studies.
St. Martin’s in Canterbury dates to 597 AD and is purported to be the oldest church in the English speaking world. It is still in daily operation!
As a day trip from Canterbury we explored the massive Dover Castle complex and the WW II era secret tunnels used by the British during the evacuation from Dunkirk.
We departed Canterbury for our next night’s stop in the small village of Alfriston. The quaint village of Rye enroute was picturesque. The white chalk cliffs at Beachy Head provided a chance for some brief hiking. Another stop was at the Pevensey Castle ruins where the Norman King William launched his invasion of England and defeated the English King Harold in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
