The best city hikes and walks around Ashford

The oldest church in England in which services are held without interruption. It was the parish church of Queen Berta of Tours in the 6th century. Queen Berta supported St. Augustine of Canterbury in his mission.

In this Roman Catholic church are two relics of Thomas of Canterbury (Thomas Becket). A finger bone and a piece of his garment are among the very few (or the only) surviving relics. The large tomb with his body in the cathedral was destroyed by King Henry VIII. There are also mementos of the martyr bishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, who, like Thomas Becket, was murdered (shot) during a service in his cathedral. A third martyr for the sake of faith remembered here is Franz Jägerstätter. He came from St. Radegund in Upper Austria and was murdered during the Nazi regime for refusing military service for religious reasons of conscience. His wife Franziska Jägerstätter strongly supported him in his faith and his stance of non-violence. Together with their three daughters, she experienced his beatification in the Linz Cathedral in 2007. https://www.dioezese-linz.at/portal/glaubenfeiern/heiligezeiten/seligeheilige/article/1740.html

Church from the 11th century. Saint Mildred was the granddaughter of King Penda of Mercia and abbess of Minster-in-Thanet, and died around 722 AD. Traces from the late Saxon period can still be found on the southern and western outer walls. The north-west porch, the main entrance to the church, has a magnificent pair of Tudor outer doors. Above the inner doors is a tablet listing benefactions and endowments. To its left is the royal coat of arms of King George III. The font dates from the 15th century. South of the chancel is a chapel, now dedicated to All Saints. It was built in 1512 as a burial chapel for Thomas Attwood and his family, who lived in Stour Street. See:https://www.dunstanmildredpeter.org.uk/historicallinks.htm

Some old houses from the 1500s. e.g. the "Sun Hotel", built in 1503, made famous by Charles Dickens on his journey through Kent. At that time it was called "The little Inn"

St. Martin's is the oldest church in the English-speaking world and is referred to as the mother church of Canterbury Cathedral. The chancel is the oldest part of the church, with Roman brickwork, and may therefore date from the Roman era or have been built in the mid-6th century from salvaged bricks. The church was gifted in the late 6th century by the pagan King Ethelbert of Kent to his French bride Bertha, who was a Christian, as a place of worship. In 595, Pope Gregory sent Augustine and a group of monks to evangelize the population of England. Upon Augustine's arrival in 597, Ethelbert allowed them to worship in St. Martin's. Soon after, Ethelbert was baptized a Christian here by Augustine. Augustine established his mission at St. Martin's before founding the first St. Augustine's Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral.

Beautiful area with a few sights to see.

Canterbury city centre is a historic, compact medieval city with its famous cathedral, surrounded by ancient city walls, offering many pedestrian zones and historic landmarks such as the Westgate Towers; it is a vibrant mix of well-known shopping brands, independent boutiques, pubs, restaurants and historic sites such as St. Augustine's Abbey and the oldest church in the world, St. Martin's Church.

The Old Weavers' House in Canterbury is a famous timber-framed building on the River Stour, named after Flemish and Huguenot refugees of the 16th and 17th centuries who brought weaving skills with them. The building itself, however, has foundations dating back to the 12th century and significant structures from the 14th century and later from the Tudor/Jacobin period, which housed weaving workshops and even a squat for punishing quarrelsome women. It has survived centuries of change and war. The Old Weavers' House is one of Canterbury's most photographed buildings and embodies the city's medieval architecture and its rich history of immigrant communities and public punishments along the picturesque River Stour.