Canterbury Castle

Canterbury Castle stands in the heart of Canterbury, a ruined Norman stronghold reached by a short walk from the city’s East Station and main bus stand. Built soon after the Battle of Hastings, it guarded the Roman road from Dover to London, the route William the Conqueror took in 1066. The castle was one of three Royal castles in Kent, alongside Rochester and Dover. A wooden motte and bailey was raised first, and its mound may still be seen in the nearby Dane John gardens. Later, a great stone keep was constructed in the reign of Henry I, forming a massive flint and sandstone tower. By the 13th century the castle had become the county jail, and during the First Barons’ War it was surrendered to invading French forces. A new gate was added in 1380. In the 19th century the site passed to a gas company, which used it for storage and removed the top floor. The castle has been owned by the local council since 1928. A £19.9 million Levelling Up fund was secured in 2023 to restore the castle and other historic sites. Restoration work, delayed by a bat roost, is due to begin in 2025. Visitors find a tall flint and sandstone keep rising from a grassy mound near the Dane John gardens. The keep’s massive walls still stand, though the upper floor is gone. A stone gatehouse from the 14th century marks the entrance. The surrounding area includes the remains of the original motte and traces of the Roman road once guarded by the castle. The site offers a quiet view of Canterbury’s medieval defences and the later city walls.