Step Back in Time in Canterbury

Travelling with friends or family groups can make for a very rewarding holiday experience, especially if you all share similar interests. Hostels are a fantastic option for your accommodation and, as an added bonus, you'll get to experience a wonderfully co-operative atmosphere. There are so many places to visit in the UK where you can make the most of group accommodation in the excellent hostels, Canterbury is just one.

Sharing Hospitality

The concept of youth hostels started over a hundred years ago in order to promote travel, expand horizons and encourage the interaction of people from different cultures. However, hostels have actually existed for hundreds and hundreds of years. In the English language, hostel is Anglo-French in origin and translates to a lodging house where travellers could stay and share an evening together. This often meant comparing stories and experiences to pass the time, and the most famous account is, of course, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – although no doubt the group accommodation that was available in the late 1300s was very different to the modern hostels today!

History - Canterbury and Thomas Becket

The gorgeous city of Canterbury is most famous for its stunning cathedral and its association with Thomas Becket, who was murdered within the cathedral by four knights, in 1170. Unfortunately, the knights had mistakenly thought that King Henry II wanted the Archbishop dead, which was not the case. In 1173, Becket was made a saint and his shrine became an important place of pilgrimage. (In Chaucer’s famous Canterbury Tales, the characters were on their way to the city to visit Becket’s shrine.) Unfortunately, like many religious relics and shrines, it was dismantled during the Reformation of 1538 and the proceeds went to King Henry VIII. However, you can still visit Thomas Becket’s tomb, which is located within the cathedral, in the Trinity Chapel.

Pubs, Ales and the Garden of England

Canterbury is filled with lovely timber-framed houses and wonderful old pubs where you can soak up the historic atmosphere in hospitable surroundings. You can also sample traditional pub food and the local ale made with Kentish hops.

For those staying in any of the local hostels' group accommodation in the peak holiday season, not only are Chaucer’s Tales enacted during the day, but the city also makes a great base for exploring the surrounding countryside. Kent is often known as the 'Garden of England' because of its gentle climate. It produces some of the country's best apples, cherries and pears and, hidden away in this lovely green county, there are still traces of the world that H.E Bates created in the Darling Buds of May.

To really appreciate the splendours of Kent, a walk up onto the North Downs should not be missed. Easily accessible from your group accommodation in Canterbury, this delightful protected countryside is covered with green fields spread out like a patchwork quilt. For a great day excursion, you can hike to Dover - an eight-hour ramble - and then catch the bus or train back to Canterbury. You may even want to carry on and catch the ferry to Calais and spend a few days exploring the French coast! Who knows, you could end up writing about your own Canterbury Tales and beyond.

Ben Spencer works for Hostelling International. Offering more than 4000 hostels worldwide, their website dedicated to groups features 250 hostels specifically suitable for school trips, corporate team building trips and families. For the best group accommodation, join our community and say hi to the world. HI is the only global network of Youth Hostel Associations and a non-profit membership organisation with over 100 years of experience.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.