Why you should do this 1 activity when visiting Canterbury | UK | Travel

When exploring new cities or countries, visiting popular tourist attractions is often discouraged, as it’s believed they offer a shallow version of the place and can distract from experiencing its authentic culture. The advice from seasoned travellers is almost always the same: skip the crowds, never believe the social media hype and follow what the locals do—but this isn’t always correct.

I took a trip to a popular historic city in the UK; despite being incredibly beautiful, I assumed it would be exciting or offer much more, given that it ranked in the top 10 for the best cities in the country. For my cousin’s hen do, we headed to Canterbury in Kent, armed with a list of ‘must-see’ sights. But to our surprise, we checked off most of them rather quickly.

As we wandered around, we asked a few locals for recommendations, yet nothing truly stood out. While planning the trip, I’d come across a touristy activity that felt a little too ‘clickbaity’ to commit to, especially since we had our sights set on exploring the iconic Canterbury Cathedral.

But when we arrived, the long queues, ongoing construction, and steep £21 entry fee quickly put us off. That night, as I aimlessly scrolled through TikTok, one video caught my eye: Canterbury’s Historic River Tour.

At just £16 per person for a 45-minute ride with a small group of 12, it sounded almost too good to be true. But it delivered a peaceful, scenic, and unexpectedly fascinating experience that became the highlight of our trip.

What do you experience on the tour? 

According to the Canterbury Historic River Tour website, visitors will “discover the city’s unique history from a different angle on one of the guided river tours.”

The description continued: “Sit back and relax as our tour guides take you under the King’s Bridge, one of the oldest working road bridges in Britain, up towards the hidden serenity of the Greyfriars’ Island, once the home to the Franciscans, one of Canterbury’s many religious orders.”

Visitors will travel downstream, passing notable landmarks, including the 16th-century Old Weavers’ House and a replica ducking stool. The tour guide will take you past the modern Marlowe Theatre, where you’ll enjoy views of the historic Blackfriars’ Monastery, now part of the renowned King’s School, which opens out onto the tranquil greenery of Solly’s Orchard.

Religion, witches and beautiful women: Canterbury’s fascinating history 

The boat tour consisted of travelling down the stunning chalk stream, River Strour. “In Roman and Medieval times, the river was a major transport route, connecting Canterbury with mainland Europe. Fordwich, on the edge of the city, was an important port. And the river played a key role in the spread of Christianity,” reported the Kentish Tour.

During the boat tour, we were told tales about Canterbury’s history. In 597 AD, Saint Augustine of Canterbury was announced as the first archbishop, and he founded the famous cathedral. The cathedral was severely damaged by fire twice, in 1067 and 1174, until it was rebuilt into what we see today.

The city is also infamous for the death of Thomas Becket, an English cleric and close friend of Henry II. Becket served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in the Cathedral in 1170.

As we travel back and forth across the river, we go past the ducking stool replica. This is a punishment for women who were accused of being witches. “Victim’s legs and thumbs were tied together before they were flung into water, and there was no winning. If you sank, you were innocent, but if you floated, it was clear you had renounced baptism when entering the Devil’s service, and would be murdered by other means,” said Kent Online.

In 1542, under Henry VIII, witchcraft was declared a capital offence in Britain. But long before the 16th-century Witchcraft Act reached the courts, the ducking stool was used as a public punishment and humiliation method for “common scolds”—those who were seen as disruptive (mainly women).

We also experienced more modern architecture, such as the Marlowe theatre (named after the famous playwright), which was first built in 1933 but remodelled and reopened in 2011. Beside it is the ‘must-see’ bulkhead statue created by Rick Kirby.

The statue was based on Christopher Marlowe’s famous description of Helen of Troy (a Greek mythology figure known for being the most beautiful woman) as “the face that launch’d a thousand ships,” and is made out of scrap metal recovered from ships along the Kentish coast, according to Visit Canterbury.

Why it’s worth it

This tour is not only a history buff’s absolute dream but also provides incredible, picturesque views that feel like you have stepped into a fairytale. My absolute favourite thing about stepping away from London is being thrust into beautiful nature that is perfectly unkept and unruined by litter or habitat destruction. It was so heart-warming seeing the little ducks swim by and a pigeon peacefully nesting its baby. 

This boat ride was completely smooth, which was impressive as 12 people were rowed by a singular person (Abbie) who also spoke throughout without losing her breath. We were able to calmly enjoy our canned cocktails whilst bantering with our tour guide on our journey. 

It was also lovely to have quick jokes and small rivalries with the other boat tours going by. It was fun saying “ahoy” every time we needed to make our presence known to other boats before turning blind corners or going underneath low and tight bridges. It was also cute how the sailors kept giving each other ‘high fives’ with their oars as they went past each other. 

Overall, this boat trip truly brightened up our time in Canterbury. It offered everything we were looking for: views, education, relaxation, yet fun and excitement from a completely new and unique experience. I definitely recommend it for all visitors during the warmer months.

Other reviews 

The historic boat tour scored an impressive 4.7 bubbles on TripAdvisor from over 2,000 reviewers. One happy explorer said: “We all had a lovely trip, very informative and learnt lots about the local area as well. Beautiful trip and very picturesque. Would recommend to people visiting the area.”

Another commented: “The tour was great, the guide had so much knowledge of the surrounding area and a great sense of humour. Architecture, folklore, history, wildlife, contemporary developments, biodiversity and community was also cleverly interwoven into the content.

“Good banter between tour guides of various vessels added to the enjoyment factor. Picturesque and pleasant experience.” A third highlighted: “Had a lovely trip, enjoyed it, and it was relaxing and fun.

“I gave only 3 stars because it was quite a short distance travelled overall, and I was expecting travelling a bit further…this didn’t bother my husband and I, but it’s worth knowing if you are a large family or don’t have a lot of money.”