Canterbury Cathedral Gardens Through History

Explore centuries of garden history at Canterbury Cathedral in this unique one-day exhibition.

The Archives will be displaying items with general gardening interest, including books with beautiful horticultural illustrations. One book on show greatly influenced the re-imagining of one of the Cathedral gardens in 2005.

The display will include Victorian sketchbooks, prints and some 17th- and 18th- century maps showing the landscape of the precincts and city of Canterbury. There will also be some fascinating photographs showing the gardens themselves, which detail how the cathedral grounds have changed through the years.

Timings

Friday 18 September:

1100, 1200, 1300 & 1400

Location & directions

Canterbury Cathedral, The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2EH

Directions:

The Cathedral is located in the centre of Canterbury, a short walk from several of the city's car park and bus station, and around 10 minutes away from both Canterbury East and Canterbury West stations. Access to Canterbury Cathedral is via the Visitor Centre which is in the Buttermarket and is clearly marked. The main step-free entrance into the Cathedral Precincts (grounds) is via Christ Church Gate in The Buttermarket. For advice or information on visiting the city, please see the Visit Canterbury website or email [email protected]

Contact on day:

Melodie Robson

Telephone number:

+441227862749

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Please book your time slot to view the exhibition online

Booking contact name:

Canterbury Cathedral

Booking telephone number:

+441227762862

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking website:

https://buy2.myonlinebooking.co.uk/canterburycathedral/sessions.aspx?tid=18

Booking opens:

01 Jun 2026 12:00 PM

Booking closes:

17 Sep 2026 12:00 AM

Accessibility details

Access to the Archives for wheelchair users is via a lift on the north side of the Precincts and along the water tower corridor. Blue Badge and accessible parking must be pre-booked due to limited availability on site. Please contact [email protected] to discuss parking or access arrangements.

Additional information

On arrival you will be given a wristband and asked to wait at the back of the Visitor Centre to be collected and taken to view the exhibition in the Archives. Please follow the instructions the Welcome team will give you.

Max number of people:

20

Estimated duration:

45 hour(s)

Check out our online channels

Back to results