Jobs in Canterbury | Pictures of Canterbury

When Henry II assassinated his one-time close ally, Thomas Beckett, for daring to undermine his right to divine rule in 1170, he would have had no idea that this action would determine the entire future of Canterbury .

Pilgrims flocked to the city every year and after Chaucer's ‘ The Canterbury Tales' in the 14 th century, Canterbury had become Europe 's most important religious site.

The religious pilgrims have been replaced by leisure pilgrims (tourists) who continue to descend on the city every year, not to pay homage to Becket but to appreciate Canterbury for what it is today – a lively city stimulated by a thriving student contingent with a wide range of modern, cosmopolitan bars and restaurants that beautifully complement the historical surroundings.

As the second most visited town in England , Canterbury is fast-becoming one of the most desirable places to live and work, thanks largely to the innovation of the South East England Development Agency.

Getting around Canterbury
Canterbury has two railway stations, Canterbury West and Canterbury East with journey times of around 90 minustes to the capital.

More than 160,000 vehicles travel into the city every day and this creates significant traffic congestion on Canterbury Ring Road and a number of inner radial routes. Traffic levels in the area are expected to increase by 25% over the next decade so to alleviate some of this congestion, there are three Park & Ride schemes in operation at Wincheap, New Dover Road and Sturry Road .

T he Council is considering improvements to the main A2 dual carriageway and increasing the number of Park & Ride schemes in the area. The centre of Canterbury is mostly pedestrianised with a number of car parks dotted around the perimeter of the old town walls.

Bus travel in the area is sometimes criticised for a lack of peak capacity. All buses into the city terminate at the main bus station at the end of the St George's Lane , parallel to the Cathedral.

Eating, drinking and shopping in Canterbury
Canterbury is a city of five diverse urban districts.

The ‘central' district is the Cathedral, museums and fine art galleries, together with specialist shops and larger stores, and the twice weekly street market.

The ‘southern' district has the pick of the city's cafés and restaurants, whilst the ‘eastern' district is home to the New Millennium Shopping & Leisure development.

In the ‘western' district you will find world cuisine and popular pubs, two major theatres and the city's museum. The northern district is the bohemian soul of the city, with its diverse mix of antique shops and restaurants.

A spectacular cathedral, parks and gardens, fantastic shopping and world-class entertainment; combine to ensure Canterbury never fails to delight its visitors.

Shopping in Canterbury is a unique experience. The Whitefriars area is an open air shopping experience that reflects Canterbury 's traditional street style whilst offering an impressive collection of some of the country's most popular fashion and lifestyle retailers. Fenwick department store heads up the extensive retail line up including Zara, H&M, USC, Next, Jane Norman, Esprit and River Island .

Add the newly refurbished Marlowe Arcade – home to the likes of Coast, Karen Millen and the UK-Czech fashion house Pietro Filipi - and you have a surprisingly sizeable shopping offering for such a small city. And along the narrow streets there are a number of unique stores, craft and antique shops.

Similarly, Canterbury surprises when it comes to finding a good selection of places to eat and drink with around 70 pubs and bars all crammed into a small area. Using St George's Tower as your landmark, simply head north along the street that bears its name and take your pick of any of the lanes that lead off to the left or right and you will be sure to find eateries and drinking holes to cater for all tastes, from student-friendly and old-style pubs to modern late night bars.

If you are looking for place to eat with a lively atmosphere then head to Café des Amis on Dunstain's Street, famed for its flamboyant food portions and colourful Mexican atmosphere.

The Old Weaver's House offers a traditional, relaxed evening with an outdoor terrace overlooking the River Stour.

For something to do that doesn't involve eating copious amounts of food and drink, Canterbury has a number of sobering places to go to while-away a few hours during the weekend.

Canterbury Cathedral, St Martin's Church, St Augustine's Abbey and the Canterbury Tales & Museum are all good places to while away a few hours of your time.

Canterbury also has a good choice of sports facilities. Kingsmead Leisure Centre, which has a 33-metre swimming pool and a sports hall for football, basketball, and badminton. The local Football, Cricket and Rugby teams will never be world beaters, but that means it's rarely difficult to get a ticket if you prefer watching sport to playing it.

Main residential areas
If you're thinking of moving to the area, take a look at some of the current property available to buy or let in Canterbury.

Take a closer look
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see some images from in and around Canterbury below.

Looking for local vacancies? See all current jobs in Canterbury or find out more information on the local area.