KENTSTAYCATION
PAGE-TURNING ESCAPES
BORDER TO THE CAPITAL AND GATEWAY TO EUROPE , IT ’ S KENT ’ S PRIME LOCATION THAT HAS MADE IT SUCH A FAMILIAR CROSSING TO BE CONQUERED BY MANY A TRAVELLER OVER THE CENTURIES . WITH SUCH INTERESTING CHARACTERS PASSING THROUGH SO REGULARLY , THERE IS LITTLE WONDER AS TO WHY SO MANY OF THEM TOOK PEN TO PAPER TO CREATE SOME OF THE WORLD ’ S BEST LOVED FICTION , POETRY AND PLAYS .
© Visit Kent
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL THE BEANEY HOUSE OF ART AND KNOWLEDGE
Craggy cliffs , coastal paths , sweeping countryside , mysterious marshlands and ancient settlements are just some of the dramatic settings that so inspired these creatives . Throw in some intriguing characters and real-life tales and we as a nation have been left with a magnificent legacy , not only ready to inspire generations to come , but to capture Kent in an enchanting light - its elements framed in enthralling tableaus that blend reality together with the magic of imagination .
It is this legacy of literature that has led Kent to become a cultural escape for both tourists and locals alike , a diverse landscape meaning travellers do not have to go far to absorb a scene completely new . From charming towns brimming with characters that inspired Dickens and Chaucer , to seascapes that shaped stories of spies and the sonnets of Shakespeare , Kent has a surreal setting waiting to inspire and capture the imagination of even the most straightforward of realists . No matter your taste in literature or staycation , you are certain to find a wonderful way to suspend your disbelief here in Kent .
Kent ’ s place in the evolution of literature was set in stone at the very beginning of the craft . The ruins of St Augustine ’ s Abbey ( www . englishheritage . org . uk / visit / places / st-augustines-abbey ) once housed the monks , including Saint Augustine himself , who wrote the scripture which would reestablish Christianity in southern England , around 597 AD . However , it was not this saint that really placed Canterbury on the literature map , it was of course Archbishop Thomas Becket . Martyred in 1170 at Canterbury Cathedral ( www . canterburycathedral . org ) his shrine became the Mecca for Christian pilgrims across the globe for centuries to come . In the 200 years preceding , these pilgrimages inspired Geoffrey Chaucer to write his famous Canterbury Tales , depicting the life and camaraderie of the Middle Ages .
Chaucer ’ s use of a pilgrimage as the framing device enabled him to bring together people from many walks of life at the time , and the stories these characters tell represent the challenges and hopefulness that are not so different from those we experience today . In 2023 however , tourists to Canterbury wanting to retrace the steps of these pilgrims and see the ancient monuments that Chaucer and his medieval contemporaries would have laid mesmerised eyes upon , can do so in much more comfort and style . Canterbury Cathedral Lodge ( www . canterburycathedrallodge . org ) is undoubtedly the best city-centre place to stay , in which this awe-inspiring building is quite literally on the doorstep .
Centuries after Chaucer , Canterbury Cathedral would inspire yet another creative . In the 1920s , the world was introduced to Rupert The Bear , a creation of local girl Mary Tourtel . Mary ’ s family were artists who worked at the cathedral on the restoration of stained-glass windows , and today the Rupert The Bear Museum can be visited in the city as part of The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge ( www . canterburymuseums . co . uk ), which also houses a plethora of other collections , antiques , exhibitions and artworks .
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