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Canterbury Cathedral
Attractions in Canterbury

Canterbury’s big name is Canterbury Cathedral

Museums or galleries make up 9 of the 16 places on the list. 14 places to visit are mapped inside Canterbury’s built-up area, with 2 more within 5 km of its edge. In heritage care, one place on the list is looked after by English Heritage. A short walk covers 13, all within 1 km. Set 24 km out, Dover Castle makes a day trip.

Photo: Canterbury Cathedral, Hans Musil (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In Canterbury
14
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
2
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
9
in or near town
Castles & historic places
5
in or near town
Cared for
1
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

The names to know in Canterbury

Alongside Canterbury Cathedral you find 2 museums, an abbey or priory and a castle.

CathedralCanterbury Cathedralin townAbbey or priory · English HeritageSaint Augustine's Abbeyin townCastleCanterbury Castlein townFortCanterbury city wallsin townMuseumThe Marlowe Kitin townMuseumCanterbury Roman Museumin town

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Where they are

Out at 6.2 km is Wildwood, the farthest.

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The dashed line is Canterbury’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

What there is to see

9 are museums or galleries; castles or historic places come next with 5.

Museums & galleries 7 museums · 2 art galleries9 in town
Castles & historic places 2 abbeys or priories · 1 cathedral · 1 castle · 1 fort5 in town
Zoos, theme parks & days out 1 zoo · 1 wildlife park0 in town · 2 nearby

Green: inside Canterbury. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Saint Augustine's Abbey).

Every place

All the places to visit

14 in town lead, with 2 more within 5 km of its edge after them.

The 14 inside Canterbury come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

913 listed buildings and 22 scheduled monuments are on Canterbury’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Canterbury →

Big names nearby

Trips out

Of the 12 day trips, Dover Castle (24 km) is the best known.

Castle · English HeritageDover Castle24 km southeastCastleLeeds Castle32 km westCastleChilham Castle9.4 km southwestCastle · English HeritageDeal Castle24 km eastCastle · English HeritageWalmer Castle24 km eastGarden · National TrustSissinghurst Castle and Garden39 km southwestCastleLympne Castle24 km southCastleSaltwood Castle22 km southAbbey or prioryFaversham Abbey13 km westCastleWestenhanger Castle21 km southCastleSandown Castle23 km eastHeritage railwayRomney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway28 km south

Places well known beyond Canterbury (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Visiting Canterbury: the answers

What are the main attractions in Canterbury?

The best known inside Canterbury’s built-up area are Canterbury Cathedral, Saint Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury Castle and Canterbury city walls. In all, 14 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 2 more within 5 km.

Does Canterbury have a museum?

9 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Canterbury: The Marlowe Kit, Canterbury Roman Museum, Kent Museum of Freemasonry and The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Canterbury?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Canterbury, 1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Saint Augustine's Abbey).

What are the best-known days out near Canterbury?

Within 40 km: Dover Castle (24 km), Leeds Castle (32 km), Chilham Castle (9.4 km), Deal Castle (24 km).

Where are Canterbury’s historic buildings listed?

Canterbury has 913 listed buildings, 36 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Canterbury when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (24)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.