Enamoured by the Environment

Michelle is an environmental scientist who lived and worked in Canterbury for a while before moving to London for a new job. She remains very fond of the city, and frequently returns to visit. Here’s what she had to say about it:

How would you describe Canterbury in three words?

Beautiful, green and quaint

What is favourite thing about Canterbury?

I just love how much beautiful nature there is in such a small space, whether it’s the Great Stour river that runs through the city, or the many parks, like the Westgate Gardens and the Dane John.

What makes it a good place to learn?

It’s a good place to learn because there is so much amazing history to discover and learn about in Canterbury. Also, despite being a small city, it’s very multicultural, especially because of its two Universities and proximity to mainland Europe. There’s plenty of people to be inspired by and learn from or with.

Do you have any recommendations for things visitors must do or check out?

You have to visit the Greyfriars Chapel & Franciscan Gardens. There’s a small charge to visit it now but it’s totally worth it. It’s a beautiful garden with a historic chapel, and in Summer the wildflower meadow is EPIC!

Do you have a favourite Canterbury fact?

I was once told by somebody on a Canterbury tour that Canterbury has the most pubs per square kilometer than any other city in England. They might have been pulling my leg, but either way, Canterbury has a lot of pubs!

(Editor comment - whilst we haven’t been able to find any evidence to back up whether this is still the case, we can confirm that it is a belief which goes back many decades locally, and that there are certainly many to choose from!)