Three core projects form the Tales of the Past vision,
the welcome experience, the visitor experience and the green space experience, designed to provide the city with the catalyst it deserves to reinvent itself as a world-class heritage and cultural destination for the decades ahead.

TALES of the past | CORE PROJECT 1
THE WELCOME EXPERIENCE (WELCOME CENTRE & WESTGATE SQUARE)

Creation of a world-class welcome centre at the gateway to the city, welcoming visitors and setting them off on their journey exploring Canterbury’s Tales of England from a spectacular new city square and welcome centre in a restored and extended Holy Cross Church.

1.1 WELCOME CENTRE
1.2 WESTGATE SQUARE

1.1 WELCOME CENTRE (HOLY CROSS CHURCH / GUILDHALL)

The welcome to the city - welcoming visitors, orientating and setting them off on their exploration:

• Canterbury’s Tales of England Welcome Centre in a converted Holy Cross Church to orientate visitors and provide a new home for visitor information at the gateway to the city, with an interactive digital orientation map table, digital itinerary walls and Canterbury Pass e-ticket machines.

• Canterbury’s Tales of England interpretation providing context for visitors exploration of our partner attractions and Story Gardens.

• A small extension of the Holy Cross Church, or new building on the Tower House car park to provide modern visitor facilities including a new Visitor Information Centre, WCs and ticketing facilities.

1.2 Westgate SquarE

• A new city square providing England’s largest surviving medieval gateway and the Holy Cross Church with a setting to match their historical significance. Facilitating citywide celebrations such as the Medieval Pageant and special events with a spectacular backdrop - whilst making the area more pedestrian friendly through a shared space scheme and temporary road closures for events.

• Creating a heritage cluster linking the historic sites in the area, including the Holy Cross Church (Canterbury’s Tales of England Welcome Centre), Tower House, Westgate Towers Medieval Museum, and the Westgate Parks to form a first-class heritage destination.

• A landmark bronze orientation map table to orientate visitors and guide them to points of interest throughout the city and along the core routes (mirroring the interactive digital map table inside the Welcome Centre), with smaller versions repeated at key junctions in the city.

• Illumination of the historic buildings, decluttering, new hard and soft landscaping, streetscene enhancements, trees, additional security bollards, three phase power & wayfinding improvements.

SITE INSPIRATION

TALES of the past | CORE PROJECT 2
The VISITOR EXPERIENCE (CASTLE RUINS EVENT SPACE, CANTERBURY’S TALES OF ENGLAND EXPERIENCE, and CASTLE CONFERENCE & Exhibition HALL)

Creation of a cluster of heritage and cultural experiences, including an atmospheric event space within the ruins of Canterbury castle keep, an immersive Canterbury’s Tales of England Experience and a new Castle Conference & Exhibition hall on top of the Castle Street multi-storey car park to welcome touring exhibitions and conferences. Designed to regenerate an under-utilised asset and introduce a high volume of additional footfall to the city centre to benefit local businesses in the daytime and evening economy.

2.1.A CASTLE RUINS EVENT SPACE
2.1.B CASTLE GROUNDS

2.2.A CANTERBury’s tales of england experience
2.2.B CASTLE conference & exhibition hall
2.2.C CASTLE OAST VISITOR BUILDING

2.1.A CASTLE RUINS EVENT SPACE

Transforming a crumbling monument into an atmospheric event space:

• Sensitively restoring the castle keep to create a spectacular open air event space with free-standing raked timber seating and stage, allowing a season of events and heritage experiences such as historical lectures, theatre, cinema, reenactments, concerts and sports screenings (e.g. Wimbledon) in a one of a kind setting - rescuing the castle and giving it a long-term commercial purpose.

2.1.B CASTLE GROUNDS

• Canterbury’s Tales of England timeline around the perimeter of the castle garden wall, etched with key dates in the story of England and interspersed with key Canterbury context - interpreting Canterbury’s Tales of England and giving visitors a reason to dwell at the castle site.

• Castle interpretation & illumination to bring to life the castle site and the stories of English castles and fortifications.

• Landscaping of the castle garden to create a Castle Story Garden with trees, pathways, planting and an event lawn, providing space for groups to congregate and enjoy picnics safely within its walls, ideal for school groups and visiting parties.

• Improving links with St Mildred’s Church to create a tranquil green space and access for visitors in a St Mildred’s Story Garden.

• Punting pontoon & River Stour Story Garden to allow visitors to arrive via punt on the Great Stour, and interpretation on the river’s historical and ecological significance.

2.2.A The Storybox - CANTERBURY’s TALES OF ENGLAND EXPERIENCE

Transforming an under-utilised asset to create a new destination for conferences and events and an immersive experience for visitors:

• The Storybox on part of the top deck of the Castle Street multi-storey car park, forming the core visitor attraction by bringing to life Canterbury’s Tales of England in an immersive 360-degree interactive experience (example stories shown below). This space could also be used as a supplementary area for the exhibition hall to provide additional breakout space and bespoke digital experience opportunities - or as a standalone after hours event space. It could also welcome touring digital experiences to create a season of special events.

2.2.B CASTLE CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION HALL

• Castle Conference & Exhibition Hall on part of the top deck of the Castle Street multi-storey car park to welcome major touring exhibitions such as the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition tour from the Natural History Museum, conferences and local exhibitions.

• Rooftop hospitality with spectacular views, rooftop gardens and viewpoints.

• Creation of the city’s largest green roof to improve biodiversity and the city’s largest PV array.

2.2.C CASTLE OAST

• Visitor Building to welcome visitors to the castle site and provide facilities for the castle ruins event space and Canterbury’s Tales of England Experience including WCs, bar, cloakroom and box office. With an exhibition space, gift shop and link bridge to the rooftop Canterbury’s Tales of England Experience and conference & exhibition hall.

SITE INSPIRATION

TALES of the past | CORE PROJECT 3
THE GREEN SPACE EXPERIENCE (CITY ROUTES, CITY SQUARES, CITY WALL PARK & STORY GARDENS)

Linking the city’s heritage assets, stories, areas of investment and green spaces together to create free to enjoy experiences that transform the setting of our world-class heritage assets, whilst enhancing biodiversity and wellbeing. Using the opportunity to encourage visitors to explore every corner of the city through well defined multi-modal routes and exemplar wayfinding.

3.1.A City Routes
3.1.B CITY SQUARES

3.2 CITY WALL PARK
3.3 STORY GARDENS
3.4 Wayfinding, streetscene & interpretation

3.1.A CITY ROUTES

Transforming and regenerating the city with new public realm, by linking the city’s heritage, stories and green spaces together:

• Pilgrims Mile The main route, linking investment at the new Westgate Square (and new Welcome Centre) to the other core routes and transport hubs, through to the World Heritage Sites.

• Castle Mile Linking the new Pilgrims Mile (High Street) to investment at The Marlowe Kit and Canterbury Castle experiences (e.g. Castle Conference & Exhibition Hall and the Canterbury’s Tales of England Experience), through to the City Wall Mile.

• City Wall Mile Linking investment at the new Westgate Square (and new Welcome Centre) to the recently regenerated Westgate Parks (NLHF), through to investment at the Canterbury Castle site, and through to the World Heritage Sites on the Pilgrims Mile.

• Great Stour Mile Linking investment at the new Riverside development to the new Westgate Square (and Welcome Centre), via the Coach Park and key city car parks.

• Link Routes Filling gaps between areas of investment.

• Interpretation along the routes outside places with stories to tell and within Story Gardens.

• New consistent streetscene design including lighting (including the restoration of Biggleston lamp posts), traditional style wayfinding (with minutes to destination markings), trees, benches, bins, hard and soft landscaping, and signage along the routes.

• Viewpoint experiences at key locations along the core routes e.g Cathedral view from the King’s Mile, including benches and interpretation.

• Landmark junction & route markers to clearly define the core routes through the city.

• Improvements to city welcome locations including its two stations, selected car parks, the bus station, roundabouts and coach park.

3.1.B CITY SQUARES

Transforming the welcome experience from concrete expanses to welcoming green spaces - animated with the bustle of residents and visitors:

• Transforming the setting of our heritage assets and greening large areas of the city.

• Improving our public transport experience.

• Regenerating areas around our heritage assets, making the heritage core a great place to visit, work and live.

• Enabling visitors engagement with our stories.

3.2 City wall park

Transforming the concrete topped city wall into a new 500m long linear park:

• A new linear city park with new hard and soft landscaping, seating, lighting, sculptural features and space for concessions.

• Screening of the bus station to enhance the setting of the city wall through hard and soft landscaping.

• Features and seating nooks in the six turrets along the city wall to create Turret Gardens telling the story of Canterbury firsts (e.g St Martin’s Church & King’s School).

• Relandscaping of some of the garden’s key features such as the Dane John Mound to return it to its former glory.

• Restoration of the Biggleston lamp posts along the city wall (and in the gardens).

• Trees planted along the length of the moat adjacent to the city wall (with a new Moat Walk in mind as the transformation of the ring road evolves).

• Creation of a City Wall Park Gateway to welcome people to the new City Wall Park, and sculptural interpretation of the former St George’s Gate at the foot of the city wall to tell the story of Canterbury’s gateways (an example of one of the Story Gardens).

3.3 STORY GARDENS

Canterbury is home to an enviable list of stories and a world-class literary heritage. Story Gardens will transform unloved spaces across the city, creating brand new green spaces that tell the stories of Canterbury’s Tales of England - attracting visitors with a strong narrative and creating places for commemoration and enjoyment:

• Creation of Story Gardens in new and existing green spaces throughout the city, each one enhancing biodiversity, wellbeing, and telling one of Canterbury’s notable stories. Story Gardens will provide a home for world-class artworks and statues, such as the proposed Aphra Behn statue.

• Story Garden Trail connecting all of the Story Gardens to encourage exploration of our green spaces and stories.

• Story Garden digital content for each story, accessible via QR code on a dedicated website to inspire children and visitors.

Draft themes & locations (italics are in partnership with third parties):

• Aphra Garden (Former St Mary Bredman Church - outside former Nasons)

• Becket Garden (St Thomas’ Church Garden)

• Blitz Garden (Clocktower)

• Canterbury Tales Garden (St Margaret’s Street)

• Castle Garden (Part of Castle Project)

• Chaucer Garden (Three Cities Garden, near Chaucer Statue)

• Children’s Garden (Miller’s Field)

• City Gates Garden (Footprint of former St George’s Gate)

• Conrad Garden (Butterly Garden, Pound Lane)

• Crab & Winkle Garden (Station Road West)

• Cushman Garden (St Alphedge Church Garden)

• Ethelbert & Bertha Garden (Lady Wootton’s Green)

• Fleming Garden (St Mary de Castro Garden)

• Greyfriars Garden (Greyfriars Garden)

• Industrial Heritage Garden (Tannery Field)

• Kit Garden (Marlowe Kit)

• Marlowe Garden (Solly’s Orchard)

• Martyrs Garden (Watling Street)

• Medieval Garden (Holy Cross Church)

• Monastery Garden (Monastery Street)

• Peace Garden (Dane John Park)

• Pilgrims Garden (Canterbury Cathedral)

• Queen Elizabeth Garden (Westgate Parks)

• Rebels Garden (Toddlers Cove)

• Roman Garden (St Radigund’s Street)

• St Augustine Garden (Longport)

• St Mildred’s Garden (St Mildred’s)

• Stour Garden (Rheims Way)

• World Firsts Garden (City Wall Park)

• World Heritage Garden (Christ Church University)

3.4 wayfinding, streetscene & interpretation

• Illumination using architectural lighting to highlight heritage assets, improve the legibility of the city after dark, boost the evening & night-time economy and improve safety.

• Heritage style wayfinding with minutes to destination to encourage exploration of the whole city and its assets.

• Heritage style street furniture, including bins, benches, bollards and lighting, to compliment the heritage setting.

EXTERIOR PROJECTS INSPIRATION