A Vibrant and Diverse Place to Learn

Triona is a senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Kent in Canterbury. She has been living in the city eight years after living and studying in other parts of the UK. Here’s why she loves Canterbury…

How long have you been living in Canterbury and what originally brought you to the area?

Since 2014. I came to work on a 12 month contract research contract at the university of Kent.

What do you love the most about living here?

I love the walks you can do all around Canterbury. The fact you’re 15 minutes from the sea is amazing too. Canterbury is a quieter place than I’m used to but it has little idyllic places dotted around town (like Westgate Gardens, the walk to Fordwich, Blean woods, the Crab & Winkle line walk…)

Canterbury is known for its Universities, what do you think makes it a good place to learn?

I’m biased obviously but I think it’s the best place to learn in the county of Kent. It’s a vibrant place with a diverse population, including lots of residents and visitors from around the world. The museums, theatre and cultural events like the Festival are great too. And obviously the history is ancient and fascinating - before I lived here I never knew about it being the first site of the Catholic Church, when King Æthelberht gifted land in Canterbury to monks from Rome

What’s the local food scene like? Any restaurants in particular that visitors should check out?

I love the little independent places (coffee shops etc.) and the French sandwich shop “cafe st Pierre”. There are lots of fancier places to choose from too, and tons of good pub food at places like the Monument, the Unicorn and the Lady Luck.

Do you have a favourite Canterbury fact?

I had to think about this for ages! I think it’s interesting that Joseph Conrad is buried in Canterbury, next to Orlando Bloom’s dad.