Canterbury Cathedral
This evening after work I took a stroll into the centre of the city, from Northgate along Palace Street. There's a spot along this road where you get an amazing view of the cathedral looming over the smaller buildings and walls, so I stopped there for a while and tried several angles and focal lengths - this one seemed to work the best.
Northgate and Palace Street, located in the historic city of Canterbury, Kent, bear testament to centuries of development and ecclesiastical importance. The area has seen continuous habitation since Paleolithic times. Northgate served as one of the primary entrances to the medieval walled city, facilitating both horse-drawn carriages and pedestrian movement. The remnants of Canterbury’s Roman past are evident in the Northgate area, where part of the original Roman wall can be observed in a sunken garden accessible via St. Radigunds. Nearby Palace Street derives its name from the Archbishop’s Palace, an 11th-century expansion by Archbishop Lanfranc, underscoring its religious and administrative significance. Around 1300, the Church of St. Mary Northgate was incorporated above this gateway, blending religious architecture with practical urban design.
The area also holds a connection to Archbishop Alphege, who was taken through Northgate following the Danish attack on Canterbury Cathedral in 1011. Palace Street is home to some of Canterbury’s most distinctive historical buildings. The timber-framed house at 8 Palace Street, constructed around 1250 as a priest’s house for St. Alphege Church, remains a focal point of architectural interest. Further along, 28 Palace Street, often called the "leaning house," was built by Alderman Sabine, a woolcomber, to accommodate weavers, reflecting the area’s historical links to the wool trade. Palace Street’s proximity to the main entrance of Canterbury Cathedral precincts further highlights its centrality to the city's ecclesiastical heritage. The cathedral, a seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury and a renowned architectural landmark, attracts approximately a million visitors annually, maintaining the area's historical prominence.
Canon Powershot S95, Lightroom, Silver Efex Pro 2
