Canterbury is a cathedral city in the county of Kent in south-east England. Canterbury is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the primate of the Church of England. Its cathedral is the burial place of King Henry IV of England and of Edward the Black Prince, but is most famous as the scene of the murder of Thomas a Becket in 1170. As a result of this event, Canterbury became a major centre of pilgrimage, inspiring Geoffrey Chaucer to write his Canterbury Tales in 1387. The city is also associated with the family of Thomas More and was the birthplace of Christopher Marlowe.
During World War II the city was severely damaged when it was selected as one of the cities in England to be targeted by the Luftwaffe in the Baedeker Blitz.
Canterbury today is a major tourist centre, second only to London. It still contains many ancient buildings and modern building development within the medieval town centre is strictly regulated. The University of Kent at Canterbury stands on a hill about two miles outside the city centre: Chaucer College is an independent graduate college for Japanese students on its campus.
