174 The Canterbury Tales

After the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, Canterbury became a popular destination for pilgrims of many different backgrounds, looking for cures and miracles. This pilgrimage was immortalized by Geoffrey Chaucer (widely acknowledged as one of the foremost figures in English literature), in his famous tales published in 1476. Chaucer’s pilgrims follow an ancient route from London via the Roman road Watling Street which ran from the Old Kent Road in London crossing the River Medway at Rochester on to Canterbury and beyond to Dover.

The Canterbury Tales Museum, set in an old church in the centre of the city, recreates Chaucer’s stories of 14th Century life with a walk-through reconstruction. To begin, visitors enter medieval England in the Tabard Inn on the Old Kent Road. As the cocks being to crow and the sun rises, the bodies lying snoring on the tables become more visible. (From personal experience, small children can find this alarming.) From then on the visitor can wander along with the pilgrims while the use of wax-works, smells and sounds all help to recreate the medieval atmosphere. As the audio tour guides us through the exhibition  we hear the Knight’s Tale, the Miller’s Tale, the popular and bawdy Wife of Bath’s Tale and others, eventually coming into a market place where visitors can enjoy the hustle and bustle of a medieval market along with  the realistic and sometimes pungent aromas accompanying  the stallholders’ haggling and business deals.

At the end of the journey the pilgrims sleep at the ‘Chequer of Hope Inn’ and the hungry visitor may sample the best fish and chips (really!) in the town from The City Fish Bar just on the left as you emerge from the gift shop.

St Margaret’s Street, Canterbury 01227 454888
Advance bookings recommended
Opening hours
March-June, Sept-October  9.30 – 17.30
July – August  9.00 – 18.00
Nov – Feb 10.00 – 16.30