Canterbury, ENG - Postcode - CT1 1EW

Description of Canterbury, England

The city of Canterbury, a local government district in Kent, England, is home to Canterbury Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is situated on the Stour River.

Due to St. Augustine's role as apostle to the pagan Kingdom of Kent around the turn of the 7th century, the Archbishop of Canterbury serves as the primate of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. Although the city had been a popular pilgrimage site since since the 1012 murder of St. Alphege at the hands of King Canute's troops, the 1170 martyrdom of Thomas Becket brought an unprecedented influx of visitors to the cathedral. Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, written in the 1400s, centers on a group of pilgrims making their way to a shrine dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket.

One of the most visited cities in the UK, Canterbury relies largely on tourism to sustain its thriving economy. This city has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era, and it was the center of power for the Kingdom of Kent in the Celtic Cantiaci and Jute dynasties. A Roman city wall, reconstructed in the 14th century, stands nearby, as are the ruins of St. Augustine's Abbey, the Norman Canterbury Castle, and the King's School, the oldest school still in use in the world. The Marlowe Theatre and St. Lawrence Ground, where the Kent County Cricket Club plays, are two examples of recent construction in the area. There is also a sizable student population thanks to the Canterbury campus of Girne American University and the nearby campuses of the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. In comparison to other major British cities, however, Canterbury is still relatively tiny.

Geographical Description of Canterbury

Located in the county of Kent, 55 miles (89 km) east-southeast of London stands the city of Canterbury. Herne Bay and Whitstable, two seaside towns, are 6 miles (10 km) to the north, and Faversham, to the northwest, is 8 miles (13 km). Chartham, Rough Common, Sturry, and Tyler Hill are some of the nearby communities. Thanington Without, to the southwest, is a civil parish, although the remainder of the city is not. Suburbs include St. Dunstan's, St. Stephen's, Longport, Stuppington, Wincheap, and Hales Place.

The river flows north-east from its source in Lenham, past Ashford, and into the sea near Sandwich. The river splits in two as it runs north-east, with one fork passing through the heart of the city and the other skirting the site of the old city walls. Before merging again near Fordwich, a settlement on the border of the marshland to the north-east of the city, the two tributaries form multiple river islands. Until Fordwich, boats can travel on the Stour thanks to the tide, but after that, only canoes and other small craft will do. Hire a punt or a rowed river boat in Canterbury. Mainly brickearth and chalk make up the region's geology. Around a mile to the northwest of the city center are St. Thomas's Hill and St. Stephen's Hill, both of which are composed of Tertiary sands overlain by London clay.

Economical Description of Canterbury

In 2001, the Canterbury area was still home to roughly 4,761 firms, up to 60,000 full- and part-time workers, with a GDP of £1.3 billion.

As a result, the district's economy rose to become Kent's second largest. Currently, the tourism, academic, and commercial sectors are the most important ones.

Over £450 million was generated for the city of Canterbury thanks to the 7.2 million tourists who visited in 2015. Over the course of the year, tourism boosted the economy by 9,378 jobs, an increase of 6% from the year before. There was an added bonus because of the cooperation between the two colleges. Both universities contributed £909m to the city's economy and accounted for 16% of all jobs in 2014/2015.

The development of the Whitefriars shopping complex in 2001 brought thousands of new work possibilities to the city, greatly reducing the unemployment rate.

Large economic developments including the Canterbury Enterprise Hub, Lakesview International Business Park, and the Whitefriars retail development have had a substantial impact on the city's economy.

As of the month of September 2011, the official unemployment rate was 5.7%. By May of that year, the rate had fallen to 1.8%, and in Kent as a whole, the rate was a manageable 2%. This information solely takes into account those who are applying for benefits due to unemployment (Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit). Those lacking such resources are left out of the analysis. Nationally, the rate was 4.2% at the time.