Canterbury

The City of Canterbury is a local government district with city status in Kent, England. The main settlement in the district is Canterbury, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

It was formed on April 1, 1974 by the merger of the existing city of Canterbury with Whitstable and Herne Bay urban districts and Bridge-Blean Rural District. There are 26 parishes within the district (see link below), as well as the towns of Herne Bay, Whitstable and Fordwich. All those, and the cathedral city itself, make up the 'City of Canterbury' district.

The area is in the main rural, although the entire coastal strip is taken up by the almost unbroken sprawl of seaside towns from Seasalter to Herne Bay. Between them and the city there is high land, well wooded, south of which the River Stour flows from its source beyond Ashford. The city of Canterbury stands upon this river. Although it was primarily religious in its foundation, Canterbury is now also the home of the University of Kent. Canterbury stood at the end of the Pilgrims' Way, and also on the Roman road Watling Street: the main London to Dover road which replaced the latter now bypasses the city.