A sea of medievalism and Old World charm engulfs visitors to Canterbury, which rises from between the rolling hills and pretty farmlands of the English Home Counties in a symphony of Gothic cathedrals, ancient churches and unadulterated architectural grandeur. For some time the town has been synonymous with the Church of England, its eponymous cathedral representing the very nucleus of the Anglican faith. And around this UNESCO masterpiece rally other totemic sights, from the tomb of King Henry IV and the Benedictine ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, to the West Gate towers, their adjoining museum and the old stomping grounds of that other great national bard, Geoffrey Chaucer. But even if you don’t come here on a pilgrimage, or to case out Canterbury’s wealth of cultural sights, there’s plenty in the way of traditional English charm to keep most travellers satisfied. That could mean settling down for a frothy local ale at a pub on the recommendation of your Canterbury tour guide, shouting in the stands of the St Lawrence Cricket Ground, wandering between the pretty lanes of the Dane John Gardens, glossing over Marlowe or strolling to the mellifluous chants of Thomas Tallis.