Canterbury is one of England’s best-known and most-visited cities. It is also one of its most historic. Founded before the Roman conquest, the city became a Roman provincial capital with a theatre and temple complex. After Augustine arrived in 597, Canterbury was a key Christian centre and eventually the seat of England’s premier archbishop. Following the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in the cathedral in 1170, it was a focus of European pilgrimage. After the Reformation it became a centre of trade and commerce and a regional capital as well as continuing to be a major church centre.

In spite of damage sustained during the Second World War, it retains a substantial stock of medieval buildings and is the home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The map has been prodcued in collaboration with Canterbury Archaeological Trust (CAT) under the editorship of Dr Jake Weekes. Since CAT published a historical map of Roman and Medieval Canterbury in 1990, archaeological and historical research has revealed much more about the city and its development. As a result, there is much more information available that benefits from being shown on the new map.

The historical map uses a digitised OS map of 1907 to form the background - a time when Canterbury was home to a huge military presence and yet Kent's orchards came well into the city boundary.

The reverse of the map has a gazetteer of Canterbury's many historic buildings and sites, and maps showing the Roman settlement at three phases of its existence, as well as illustrations of the old city.

We're now continuing to the production of a full British Historic Towns Atlas volume on Canterbury, allowing us to publish a series of maps showing this remarkable city at key points in its development.

This map was also produced in collaboration with Canterbury Christ Church University

Presented by the Lord Mayor in September 2021, Canterbury Archaeological Trust’s Research Officer, Dr Jake Weekes, received the John and Peggy Hayes Canterbury Award 2021 for his work on the new map. Also recognised with an award for work on the map was Canterbury Christ Church University’s post-graduate in Cartography, Alfie Day. Read more about it in out Trust News.