Let us gather at the clocktower, once part of a 12th-century church and survivor of war, it marks the start of our journey. From St George to Marlowe, layers of Canterbury’s past unfold here.

Queen Elizabeth I may not have sipped flat whites, but she did visit Canterbury in 1573, possibly staying above what’s now Café Nero. With painted plasterwork, centuries of history, and a royal rumour or two, this flamboyant façade holds more than just coffee.

Uneasy lies the head that stole the crown, Henry IV, buried in Canterbury Cathedral’s Trinity Chapel, rose to power by deposing his cousin Richard II. His reign was marked by rebellion, disease, and divine doubt, but his tomb, beside Queen Joan, still bears his striking likeness and a king’s lion at his feet.