The Buffs

The Buffs is Canterbury's military museum, housed in what was once the barracks of the Royal East Kent Regiment - the Buffs, as locals still call them. It's a straightforward affair: uniforms, weapons, medals, and regimental history spanning centuries of British military service. The collection tells the story of ordinary soldiers and their campaigns, which beats the usual top-down approach to warfare you find in many heritage sites.

Histor buffs and anyone with a connection to the regiment will find proper value here. Families with kids aged ten and up might manage an hour or so, though younger ones could get restless - it's not interactive or flashy. The real draw is walking through the actual barracks buildings, getting a sense of what life looked like for soldiers stationed here across different eras.

Admission details aren't widely advertised online, so ring ahead or check with Canterbury's visitor centre before making the trip. Allow a couple of hours if you're thorough, less if you're just passing through. It's walkable from the city centre, which makes it easy to combine with Canterbury Cathedral or a wander around the old town.

If you're staying at Canterbury Camping and Caravanning Club Campsite - just 1.2 miles away - the Buffs works as a half-day stop. It won't compete with the cathedral or the city walls for your attention, but it fills a gap on a rainy afternoon and gives real context to the garrison town Canterbury was for generations.