Paul Crampton – Författare

Canterbury is so much more than the relatively small area enclosed by what remains of its ancient city walls. During Roman times, when the city wall first appeared, the areas occupied by today’s suburbs were used as burial grounds. From the Saxon period onwards, houses, inns and small businesses appeared along the main approach roads to the city, such as those from London, Dover and Whitstable. This was when Canterbury suburbs were truly born. In the early medieval years, churches such as St Dunstan’s, St Stephen’s, and St Paul’s had been established outside the city walls. The suburbs continued to establish themselves around these places of worship, and gradually acquired their own identities. Even today, suburbs such as St Dunstan’s, Northgate and Wincheap retain many useful shops, and it is possible for local residents to buy what they need without having to go into the city centre.

Taking you through the year day by day, The Canterbury Book of Days contains a quirky, eccentric, amusing or important event or fact from different periods of history, many of which had a major impact on the religious and political history of England as a whole. Ideal for dipping into, this addictive little book will keep you entertained and informed. Featuring hundreds of snippets of information gleaned from the vaults of Canterbury’s archives, it will delight residents and visitors alike.

Every town and city saw changes occur throughout the twentieth century, and Canterbury was no exception. Canterbury Then & Now takes you on a tour around the narrow streets and timber-framed buildings of both the Canterbury of decades past and the Canterbury of the present day. Even in the streets surrounding the famous cathedral, historic views have been dramatically altered by twentieth-century slum clearances, the effects of the Blitz and aggressive town planning. In forty-five colourful pairings of archive scenes with modern photography, Paul Crampton captivatingly illustrates the most significant of the changes that have taken place in Canterbury, from the redevelopment of the city centre to the evolution of modern transport and fashions, taking the reader on a fascinating journey through the history of Canterbury’s streets.