Canterbury
Canterbury | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
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Canterbury Cathedral | |||
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County | |||
Kent | |||
Forward Destination on | |||
A2 • A28 • A299 | |||
Next Primary Destinations | |||
Ashford • Dover • Margate • Ramsgate | |||
Other Nearby Primary Destinations | |||
Folkestone | |||
Places related to the A2 | |||
Dover • Central London • London • Medway Towns • Gravesend • Dartford • Peckham • Sittingbourne • Faversham • Gillingham • Chatham • Rochester • Strood • Greenwich • Dartford Crossing • Southwark | |||
Places related to the A28 | |||
The City of Canterbury lies in east Kent. First built by the Romans, it is one of Britain's oldest cities. It has always been a important place, particularly in Medieval times when it was a place for pilgrimage following the murder of Thomas Becket. Although its national importance decreased following the dissociation of the monasteries, it is still an important regional centre. It is now the only city in Kent now that Rochester lost its city status and it is a major tourist destination.
History
As might be expected, several Roman roads meet in the centre of Canterbury. The A2 historically entered along London Road and through Westgate and along New Dover Road; this route is now mostly the A2050 except inside the city walls and along London Road. The A28 has always gone around the city on the ring road, though the route to the north has been re-aligned to run along part of Military Road. The B2068 mostly runs along Stone Street, a Roman road towards the ancient port of Lympne, though it diverges from the modern route towards Canterbury.
The only high-quality road in the area is the dual carriageway A2 bypass. Although a primary route, the A28 is slow through Wincheap to the south and towards Sturry to the north, with numerous roundabouts and fronting properties. The two roads connect at an interchange near Thanington, but the Dover-bound exit from the A2 to the A28 has never been built, and is currently obstructed by the park and ride. There have been numerous proposals for a Canterbury Eastern Bypass, which would reroute the A28 away from the city centre, connecting to the A2 at Bridge, and potentially also bypass Sturry.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
(M2), London | ||
Dover | ||
Ashford | ||
Margate | ||
Ramsgate | Accessed via A28 | |
Charing, Challock | Accessed via A28 | |
Sandwich | ||
Folkestone | Accessed via A2 | |
Whitstable | ||
Herne Bay | Accessed via A28 | |
Hythe | Actually goes to M20 J11; remainder of route is via the A261 | |
Link across city centre | ||
Link across northern side of city between A2 and A28 |
Links
- City Council
- Tourism in Canterbury
- Official Page of Canterbury Cathedral
- Canterbury Cathedral Wikipedia Page
- £30 million bypass in Canterbury rejected by KCC - sparking fears of severe traffic delays at Sturry level crossing 11.03.2021 (archive.org)