Canterbury Truro Train

Canterbury, in the south east of England, can trace its history back to before the Romans in the 1st century AD but grew in importance following the Kingdom of Kent's conversion to Christianity in 597 when St Augustine founded a bishops seat in the city and then became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, a position that now heads the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. Thomas Becket's murder at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 led to the cathedral becoming a place of pilgrimage for Christians worldwide.

The city is on the River Stour or Great Stour, flowing from its source at Lenham north-east through Ashford to the English Channel at Sandwich. The river divides south east of the city, one branch flowing though the city, the other around the position of the former walls. The Stour is navigable on the tidal section to Fordwich, although above this point canoes and other small craft can be used. Punts and rowed river boats are available for hire in Canterbury.

Canterbury is home to many historic structures in addition to its cathedral. These include the city wall built in Roman times and rebuilt in the 14th century, the ruins of St Augustine Abbey and a Norman castle. The city is also home to perhaps the oldest school in England, The King's School.

The city of Truro in Cornwall, in the south west of England, is a compact city with a pleasant mix of independent shops, national high street shops, galleries and much more to keep the whole family enthralled. Whilst in the city pay a visit to The Royal Cornwall Museum (which also includes the Courtney Library and the Cornish History Research Centre) which has a changing programme of exhibitions along with a permanent collection of art from the old masters to works by local artists practicing today. The museum also has a world famous mineral collection, Cornish archaeology with an excellent bronze age collection, and an Egyptian gallery which includes the remains of the Priest Tayef Nakht, the unwrapped mummy. For visitors who want to explore the city and surrounding area on two wheels, the city is part of two national cycle routes. Truro is part of the Cornish Way which is a route that connects Bude to Land's End. The city is also on cycle route 32 which connects Truro to Bodmin via Newquay. Close to Truro, there is also the Mineral Tramways route between Devoran and Portreath, which connects the south coast of Cornwall with the north.