Canterbury

The Canterbury area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Lower Paleolithic axes, and Neolithic and Bronze Age pots have been found in the area. Canterbury was first recorded as the main settlement of the Celtic tribe of the Cantiaci, which inhabited most of modern-day Kent. In the 1st century AD, the Romans captured the settlement and named it Durovernum Cantiacorum. Despite being counted as one of the 28 cities of Sub-Roman Britain, Over the next 100 years, an Anglo-Saxon community formed within the city walls, as Jutish refugees arrived, possibly intermarrying with the locals. The town's new importance led to its revival, and trades developed in pottery, textiles, and leather. By…

The Marlowe Theatre is named after Christopher Marlowe, who was born in the city. It was formerly located in St Margaret's Street but moved to the present location in 1984. It was completely rebuilt in 2011 with a main 1,200-seat auditorium and secondary performance space. Its modern structure is a landmark across the city. The University of Kent's Gulbenkian Theatre serves the city, and incorporates a cinema and café. Other theatrical performances take place at Canterbury Cathedral and St Augustine's Abbey. The oldest surviving theatre building in Canterbury is The Shakespeare bar which had been a playhouse in the Tudor period. Theatre companies in Canterbury include The Canterbury…

Chaucer’s text became the inspiration for the 1944 British film, A Canterbury Tale by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, starring Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet, filmed in the city in the aftermath of the destruction caused by German bombing during World War Two. In more recent popular culture, Canterbury appeared in Russell Hoban’s 1980 post apocalyptic novel Riddley Walker, renamed "Cambry". The English band Canterbury took this name from the place name.