Canterbury CT4

Medieval bells echo across cobbled streets where pilgrims once walked toward England's most famous cathedral. Canterbury feels properly ancient - not theme park ancient, but lived-in ancient, where Roman walls still stand and Tudor buildings lean conspiratorially over narrow lanes. The city centre hums with students from the university, but step away from the High Street and you'll find quiet corners that Chaucer would recognise.

Canterbury Cathedral dominates everything, as it should. The Gothic spires pierce the Kent skyline for miles around, and inside, the spot where Thomas Becket met his grisly end still draws crowds eight centuries later. But the city's more than one magnificent building. Westgate Towers offers cracking views over the red-tiled rooftops, while the Roman Museum reveals the layers beneath your feet.

The surrounding countryside rolls away in all directions - proper Kent countryside with hop fields, apple orchards, and ancient woodlands like Postling Wood and Sibton Wood threading through the North Downs. Head south and you'll hit the Elham Valley, where villages like Elham itself cluster around medieval churches. The hills here aren't dramatic - Tolsford Hill and Summerhouse Hill rise gently from the farmland - but they're lovely for walking and offer long views toward the coast.

Getting here's straightforward enough. Canterbury sits on the main London-Dover railway line, with fast trains from London St Pancras in just over an hour. By car, it's junction 7 off the M2, though parking in the city centre can be a right pain during busy periods.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You're close enough to walk into the historic centre but far enough out to enjoy Kent's countryside properly. Canterbury Camping and Caravanning Club Campsite puts you within easy reach of both cathedral and countryside walks.