KENT, SURREY & SUSSEX - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 246

The Cherry Tree, 10 White Horse Lane ( & 01227/451266 ), has a wide selec-
tion of beers, including Cherry Tree ale.
The Gulbenkian Theatre, University of Kent, Giles Lane ( & 01227/769075;
www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian), features touring drama, comedy, and music, as well as
regular movies, modern but pushing toward the artier side of things. It's on the edge
of town, so you'll need to drive or get a cab. The Marlowe Theatre, The Friars
( & 01227/787787; www.marlowetheatre.com), features drama, jazz, and classical
concerts, along with dance and ballet. Tickets cost £10 to £40. The box office at the
Marlowe is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 9pm (Tues from 10:30am, closing
7pm on non-performance nights). Most shows begin at 7:30pm.
Where to Stay
EXPENSIVE
ABode Canterbury This is the place to stay, a hotel with a history dating
back to 1588, but now part of the luxurious ABode chain, closely associated with chef
Michael Caines (described by The Sunday Times as Britain's number 1 restaurateur).
The location is perfect (inside the ancient city walls and within minutes of the cathe-
dral), and the rooms are even more so. They're ranked “comfortable” (an understate-
ment), “desirable,” “enviable,” and “fabulous”—and they all live up to their publicity,
with hand-crafted beds, minimalist chic, and stylish wet rooms. The Michael
Caines Restaurant is Canterbury's best (p. 244).
High St., Canterbury, Kent CT1 2RX. www.abodehotels.co.uk. & 01227/766266. Fax [phone].
72 units. £99-£185 double; from £295 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Parking £5. Amenities: Restaurant; bar;
babysitting; exercise room; room service. In room: TV/DVD, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
MODERATE
Canterbury Cathedral Lodge Within the cathedral precincts, this modernistic
building with its castlelike walls and mini-turrets is a luxury hotel and conference
center. Most of the simple-but-elegant rooms have cathedral views, which can also
be enjoyed from the private Campanile Garden; there is also the Library to relax in.
Guests get breakfast (served in the Refectory restaurant, with terrace seating in
the summer) and free cathedral entry.
The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2EH. www.canterburycathedrallodge.org. & 01227/865350. Fax
01227/8653885. 29 units. £75-£119 double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking
(booking required). Amenities: Restaurant (breakfast only, except for groups). In room: TV, hair dryer,
Wi-Fi (free).
Falstaff Hotel The Falstaff radiates history. Sitting next to the Westgate Tower
was a 15th-century coaching inn, which has spread organically into an old wood mill
and a pub. Rooms, unsurprisingly, aren't large and the furniture might be more mod-
ern than you'd expect, but you can live with that as you gaze up at the original ceiling
beams in the original inn. Rooms in the annexes tend to be more modern. The public
areas make you feel as though you're an extra in a costume drama. There's a flagstone
terrace opening out from the bar.
8-10 St. Dunstan's St., Canterbury, Kent CT2 8AF. www.thefalstaffincanterbury.com. & 01227/462138.
Fax [phone] units. £80-£100 double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free
parking. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (£5 per 24 hr.).
House of Agnes This quirky, luxurious B&B in a timbered building was
an inn back in the 14th century. It's so named because it was the fictional home of
Agnes Wickfield in Charles Dickens's David Copperfield. In the house are eight

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