The Pictorial History of Canterbury [antikvár]

CANON HERBERT WADDAMS THE word "Canterbury" is the modern form of Cantwarabyrig, the fortress of the people of Kent, a name which was firmly attached to it by the middle of the sixth century. In Román times it had been known as Durovernum, and the city, built and fortified by the Romans, was sited on a spot which had already been settled because of its natural advantages. There are evidences of humán habitation in Canterbury from the iron age (300 b.c.), and the advantages of the spot for a settlement probably dependcd on its importanct as a ford, and on the consequent communications which spread out from it. In early times the river Stour meandered through the valleys, and created a large area of bog and marshy land around it. At Canterbury there was a ford by which this watery barrier could be crossed. Moreover the river gave supplies of fish, and Fordwich, a mile or two away, had direct access to the sea. The river was navigable to this point by seagoing ships until the seventeenth century, and this gave Fordwich an important local role. The stone of which the cathedral was built in Norman times, for example, came from Caen in Francé and was landed at Fordwich. In about 75 b.c. the area was invaded by tribes from Gaul known as the Belgae. They established a strong point just outside the Canterbury area at Bigbury near Harbledown. When the Romans invaded (in 55 b.c. and again in 54 b.c.) they encountered resistance which seems to have come from this Belgic camp. These early Román invasions were reconnaissances in force, and no permanent rule was set up. It was not until a.d. 43 with the Claudian invasion that the Romans came to settle. They brought with them an úrban civilization and it is from this date that the present city of Canterbury can be said to have begun. Durovernum became a centre of trade and an important point on the roads which the Romans built, leading further west and north. The walls, set up round the city, were of the same extent as the later medieval walls, which were built on the foundations of those of the Román occupation. The Román city has left remains which have been uncovered in modern times, such as the remains of a town house which can be seen in Butchery Lane. But most of the relics of the Román city are buried beneath present day buildings, six to twelve feet below the modern groundlevel. A glancé at the map shows clearly enough why Canterbury has never lost importance, even when national affairs have been centred far away. It is positioned in the centre of a south-east projection of England, and stands on the shortest route from London to the continent of Europe. In the early days it was the meeting place of three important roads leading to Román forts at Lympne, Richborough, and Reculver, and it lay on the direct route from London to Dover, which grew to be the main port in the area. On the other hand it was exposed to attacks by invaders from abroad who came by sea, for the shallowdraught ships in generál use wereable to make their way much further inland than is the case at present. Much of the water-logged land has been drained since the early Christian centuries, so that Thanet is no longer an island, and many of the inlets have disappeared. Canterbury was in turn subjected to attack by Romans, Saxons (more properly described as Jutes), Norsemen or Vikings, and Normans. Christianity was certainly established in Britain in the fourth century, for three bishops are recorded as attending the Council of Arles in the year 314. The first Christian emperor Constantine the Great was actually proclaimed emperor while Continued on page 6 st. martin's church (facing page) is said to be the oldest parish church in England and was used for Christian worship before St. Augustine reached Canterbury. Parts date from Román times. The fine pavement (above) is alsó of the Román period. It is to be seen in a basement in Butchery Lane. Page 3