DAYSOUT
MINSTER ABBEY VIKING COASTAL TRAIL
© Visit Kent
FOR COUPLES
The perfect couples’ day out can be spent on the River Stour with Canterbury Punting( canterburypunting. co. uk). With different types of tours to choose from, including spooky tours, private tours, shared tours and wildlife tours, each experience will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of Canterbury’ s extensive history, which dates back to the Early Middle Ages. While on the tour, you can observe ancient landmarks including the Blackfriars Dominican Priory, Old Weavers House, Eastbridge Hospital and Greyfriars Chapel.
If you wish to travel the 50-yard dark brick tunnel that runs under Canterbury’ s High Street, you’ ll need to book the Ghost Tour. While aboard, listen to chilling stories, local folklore and ghost tales. During the Nature Tour, you will glide under weeping willows surrounded by the city’ s natural river banks and abundance of local wildlife.
After your tour, head to The Mooring Cafe and Bar( canterburypunting. co. uk / cafe); set on the riverbanks of the River Stour, it is an ideal place to recharge. You can enjoy a hot cup of locally roasted barista coffee or indulge in one of the signature cocktails from the bar.
Just under 11 miles away from Canterbury is the peaceful village of Wye, which sits within the Kent Downs National Landscape. The town is known for its stretching views and most notably, the Cantii Way( cyclinguk. org) cycle trail, a 145- mile circular route where you will be able to discover the ancient land of the Cantii tribes surrounding Canterbury, a Celtic tribe that inhabited‘ Cantium’, the Roman and British-Latin name for the region corresponding to modern day Kent.
The route will end up along Kent’ s coastline, passing through seaside towns including Whitstable, Herne Bay, Margate and Folkestone. On your cycle, you can stop off for refreshments at The Goods Shed( thegoodsshed. co. uk) based near Canterbury West station, which is known for its independent farmers’ food market and seasonal restaurant serving dishes made from fresh local ingredients, or The Harbour Inn( landb-restaurants. co. uk) in
Folkestone, a go-to traditional pub that’ s known for its fresh seafood sourced locally from the Folkestone Trawlers.
A shorter cycling trail to discover is the Viking Coastal Trail( explorekent. org), a 32-mile circular route spanning the Isle of Thanet that traverses the surrounding towns of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. Heading along the route, you will discover where Vikings once landed in the 5th and 9th centuries across the Thanet coastline, most importantly at Pegwell Bay, a shallow inlet between Ramsgate and Sandwich.
The route will also follow a number of quiet countryside lanes, passing by ancient monuments including Minster Abbey( minsterabbeynuns. org) in Ramsgate, a working Benedictine monastery founded in 670 AD that’ s recognised as the oldest inhabited house in England. Why not stop off for a much-needed refreshment in the on-site Tea Room, where you’ ll find freshly baked scones served with lashings of fresh clotted cream and strawberry jam?
56 • www. insidekent. co. uk