Segment: Canterbury Abbey and Leeds Castle
Episode: Viking Ep 5 – British Isles Explorer
Air Date: 17th November 2019
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

The coast of England is home to some spectacular sights that you won’t want to miss on your Viking Cruise.

• Dover’s history dates back to the Bronze Age, possibly even the Stone Age. Located in Kent, the chalk white cliffs are one of the first things many visitors to the UK see.
• The Cliffs are full of walk trails – look out for Dover Castle, the largest medieval structure remaining in Britain. In the centre of this structure lies the remains of the partially preserved lighthouse, built by the Roman’s 2000 years ago.
• Be sure to explore the Canterbury Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• The Cathedral’s first incarnation was built when a Catholic monk arrived in 597 to convert the locals, but this was quiet heavily damaged. It was rebuilt in the 11th and 12 Centuries, and features incredible architecture, exquisite stained-glass windows and sculptures.
• There have been 195 archbishops here, and many prominent people are either buried or recognised here, such as Thomas Beckett, who was slain here and later made a saint.
• Just a 45-minute drive away, Leeds Castle has a fascinating history, and a Viking guide will walk you through the centuries of history contained within the walls.
• Situated on a raised island in the middle o a lake, and set on 500 acres of beautiful grounds, the castle was gifted from King Henry the 8th to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
• The castle is celebrating it’s 900th anniversary, with the oldest part having been built in 1190.
• The castle bought by Lady Baillie in 1925, and redesigned through the 1930s, with the glamourous upstairs interior still in place today.