Canterbury Black and White

The Marlowe Theatre

1,200 seat theatre in the heart of Canterbury, named after playwright Christopher Marlowe who was born in and attended school in the city.

The building has a rich, colourful past starting out in Margaret’s Street shortly before World War 1, before moving to its second home in The Friars in 1933. In 1944 the film A Canterbury Tale had its world premier there and over the 70’s and 80’s the venue hosted a number of major acts including The Cure and Joy Division.

Major renovations in 2009 resulted in the modern iconic building that stands today opening in 2011, establishing itself as Kent’s engine house for the performing arts providing a year round programme of theatre, dance, music, comedy and opera. It was named UK Theatre of the Year in 2022.

Classic hand-built punts on the historic river Stour.

Summer vibes are definitely setting in! This was Dane John Gardens in all its glory last July. A beautiful place for an afternoon stroll under the canopy of trees lining the central path.

Weekes Sundial, Dane John Gardens.

Victorian sundial, sculpted by Canterbury native Henry Weeks RA in 1840. On the pillar are carved classical figures of the seasons.

The current statue we see today, created by Tim Lees in 1999, replaced Weekes's original which is displayed in the City Museum.

Keep and eye out for it in Dane John Gardens. But if you're hoping to tell the time you might want to bring a step ladder as the sundial plate is around 6ft off the ground! : )

Saint Martin's Church...the oldest church in the English speaking world that's still in use today!

Built before AD597 it features Roman, Saxon, Norman and Medieval architecture, and along with Canterbury Cathedral and St. Augustine's Abbey forms Canterbury's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Light shining through a doorway on a Canterbury cobblestone street.

Still February and the daffodils are already starting to appear in Canterbury!

This picture was taken last March with the daffodils in full bloom in front of one of Canterbury City Wall's distinctive half-circular 'horse-shoe' medieval towers.

Close up detail of the magnificent ceiling of Chapter House within the north side of Canterbury Cathedral.

Built in the late 14th century this architectural treasure was a chamber where resident monks met daily to discuss the Cathedral's business. Later sermons were also preached here giving it the name Sermon House. Measuring an impressive 90x30 feet, Canterbury Cathedral's Chapter House is the largest of its kind in England.

It's stunning 'wagon roof' ceiling was constructed of Irish bog oak under the guidance of prior Chillenden around 1400.

Did You Know...

In 1647 Christmas was cancelled in Canterbury!

Puritans in parliament rejected it as a pagan festival, shops were ordered to stay open, garlands torn down and the people revolted...with long lasting consequences for the government, Kent and England as a whole. We don't think anyone has tried to cancel it since!

The Old Weavers House....and witches chair!

The Old Weavers House, one of the most historic half-timbered buildings in Canterbury sits on the banks of the river Stour. Currently a thriving restaurant, it gets its name from Flemish and Huguenot weavers who settled in the area after fleeing religious persecution during the 16th and 17th centuries.

A plaque on the wall dates the building to 1500 A.D. but this was most likely a reconstruction. It's believed the original house goes back to the 14th century.

Behind the building, jutting out over the river, is a medieval ducking stool, or witched chair, as it's commonly called these days. In medieval times suspected witches were dunked under the water and held there for several minutes. If she (the suspect) did not drown she was declared a witch and punished. If she did drown, she was declared innocent and her name was cleared. Fun times!

[source: Britain Express]

Christchurch Gate, seen from Mercery Lane.

Originally built to celebrate the marriage of Arthur, Prince of Wales, to Catherine of Aragon in 1502, Christ Church Gate, seen here from Mercery Lane, is the main visitor entrance to Canterbury Cathedral precinct. Arthur died a few months later, and so the gate was not completed for another 20 years until around 1520.

Today this Grade I listed Tudor Gothic monument, highly decorated with heraldic motifs, including coats of arms and mythical beasts, is one of Canterbury's most iconic and photographed buildings.

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Westgate Tower and Canterbury Guildhall

Built around 1380 during the 100 years’ war to defend Canterbury from foreign incursion, Westgate Tower, standing tall on the banks of the river Stour is England’s largest and finest surviving medieval gateway. Generations of medieval pilgrims passed under the gatehouse arch on their way to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

To it’s right is the former Church of the Holy Cross, a 14th-century grade ll listed building that originally formed part of St Gregory's Priory. Since 1972 it has served as the city Guildhall, the meeting place of Canterbury City Council.

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Canterbury City Wall

Close up section of Canterbury’s ancient City Wall. Originally built by the Romans around 270 to 280 AD, over half the original city wall survives, enclosing an area of 130 acres. Archaeologists Oliver Creighton and Robert Higham consider the city wall to be "one of the most magnificent in Britain".

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Flash back to our first ever Canterbury Black and White photography exhibition at DON JUAN sabor latino Cafe in Dane John Gardens last November.

What a beautiful place to showcase our photographs to the public for the first time.

More exhibitions and activity to follow in 2024. Watch this space : )

Crooked House

Framed within the gates of the historic The King's School, Canterbury the Crooked House is one of Cantebrury’s most unique and distinctive landmarks.

Built in the 17th Century, this wonky house which bulges and leans over the street below has been a gallery, a school outfit shop, an instrument shop, and today is the home of Catching Lives Bookshop, which sells second-hand books to raise money for the homeless and vulnerably housed.

Like all buildings of the time it was built upward…meaning the ground floor is the smallest, with each floor above built bigger. Back then the more space your house took up on the street the more tax you had to pay on it!

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The Pilgrim's Hospital

The Pilgrim's Hospital (also know as Eastbridge Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr, Canterbury) was founded in 1180 as accommodation for poor pilgrims visiting the tomb of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. It is not a hospital as we use the word today. It was and is still a hospital in the original sense of the word, a place of hospitality. Eastbridge is still a functional almshouse to this day, providing accommodation for elderly citizens of Canterbury and Ukrainian refugees and is a Grade I listed building.

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Did You Know...

In September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of World War 1, Dane John House in Dane John Gardens became a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) hospital with 115 beds. Large number of volunteers signed up to help treat the enormous volume of war casualties arriving from the battlefields of Europe.

During the war and estimated 1.2 million casualties came through nearby Dover Port.

[information source: Kent in WW1]

Fyndon Gate, Canterbury.

Original gatehouse to St. Augustine’s Abbey. Built in 1301-09.

In 1625 Charles I and Henrietta Maria stayed in the State Chambers over the gateway arch on their wedding night, following their marriage in Canterbury Cathedral. Elizabeth I is also reputed to have been welcomed to the State Chambers.

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Canterbury Black and White photographs come in various sizes to suit every need : )

Shop www.canterburyblackandwhite.com for unframed fine art prints. Framed prints can be provided on request.

Also, if there's a particular size you're after that you don't see on the website get in touch as we will always try to accommodate you : )

Red Telephone Box

Historical telephone kiosk on the The King's Mile, Canterbury. Designed in 1935 by Sir Gilbert Scott and introduced in 1936 to mark the jubilee of George V. The crown appearing above the door was the traditional Tudor crown.

Did you know these cherished phone boxes in Canterbury are actually considered listed buildings!?

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Did You Know...

To ride a horse between a trot and a gallop is widely known as to canter. But did you know this word originated from Canterbury! Pilgrims in the Middle Ages, travelling to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral, would ride to Canterbury at a leisurely pace known as the 'Canterbury gallop'. Overtime this common term was eventually shortened to 'canter'.

The Pound at One Pound Lane

Ancient alleyway between One Pound Lane (former Victorian gaol now bustling bar and restaurant) and the medieval iconic Westgate Tower.

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Tudor Wall

Close up detail of Conquest House exterior wall on Palace Street, The King's Mile, Canterbury. The Tudor style architectural façade characterised by hand-hewn half-timbering and masonry walls is typical of many historic buildings throughout the city of Canterbury.

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Buttermarket Square, Canterbury.

Canterbury’s charming, cobbled, over 800 year old Buttermarket Square featuring in its center the Canterbury War Memorial statue commemorating the residents of Canterbury who were killed or missing in the First and Second World Wars. In the background the iconic Christ Church Gate is seen (entrance to Canterbury Cathedral precincts), a scheduled ancient monument built c. 1520 and recently restored. The building to it's right is Cathedral Gate Hotel which features in the wartime film 'A Canterbury Tale'.

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Conquest House, Canterbury.

Historic house on Palace Street, The King's Mile in Canterbury dating from the Norman period. Place where the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was planned in 1170.

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