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Canterbury Historic River Tours

Canterbury Historic River Tours

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Previous awards - South East England Tourism Awards 'Best Tourism Experience' runner up!
2011 ranked 3rd out of 299 attractions in Kent Tripadvisor.

The tour lasts about 40 minutes. Firstly, we take you up to a small Franciscan island at one end of the city, which is also known as The Greyfriars. The island is home to a wonderful little chapel from the 13th century which spans the river, and is the oldest example of Franciscan architecture in the country.

We then pass under the 12th century Eastbridge Hospital and the King's Bridge (1134), continuing down river past some industrial buildings from the medieval period, including The Old Weavers House, The Kings Mill, and the Cromwellian iron forge.

After some wonderful views of the cathedral, the tour then passes through the Dominican priories which were built by the Blackfriars in the 14th century, and ends up in a peaceful garden area, that was the site of the old Abbots Mill in the city.

We then return to our starting point which is home to the infamous ducking stool.

Each boat is chauffeured by one of our team, who acts your guide to the sights upon the river by giving you the enjoyable history of all the different buildings that you pass along the way.

Throughout the season, from April to September, our tours leave every 15 to 20 minutes. Unless you are a group of more than 12 people (see group bookings), there is no need to book in advance. Simply visit us at the King's Bridge, outside The Old Weavers House to find out the next available tour time.

A single ticket tour which has a drop off point at the Millers Garden is also available but must be requested prior to departure.

See our website for more information.

TOUR INCLUDES:
Kings Bridge - Eastbridge Hospital - Franciscan Island - Greyfriars Chapel -
Old Weavers House - Kings Mill - Alchemist Tower - Cromwellian Forge - Friars Bridge -
Blackfriars - Dominican Priories - The Abbots Mill - The Marlowe Theatre - The Ducking Stool

Opening Times

2012 - Opening (01/03/2012 - 31/10/2012)
DayTimes
Monday10:0017:00
Tuesday10:0017:00
Wednesday10:0017:00
Thursday10:0017:00
Friday10:0017:00
Saturday10:0017:00
Sunday10:0017:00
Bank HolidayClosed

Prices

Ticket TypeTariff
Adult£8.00
Child£5.00
Concession£6.75
Family£21.50

Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.

VAQAS Accreditation

VAQAS accreditation logo

Awards

  • Visit Britain Awards -Code of Practice Code of Practice 2011
  • Tourism South East Award -Best Tourism Experience Award Runner Up Best Tourism Experience Award Runner Up 2008

Gradings

  • Quality Assured Visitor Attraction VB Attraction
Quality Assured Visitor Attraction VB Attraction

Road Directions

The river tours are idealy situated in the centre of Canterbury's High Street opposite the Eastbridge Hospital and a 2 minutes walk from the cathedral.

Public Transport Directions

Nearest station: Canterbury East/West is 1 miles