Canterbury, Kent

Canterbury
Canterbury lies on the River Great Stour
Arms of Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury shown within Kent
Population	55,240 (2011)
OS grid reference	TR145575
• London	54 miles (87 km)
District	Canterbury
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CANTERBURY
Postcode district	CT1, CT2
Dialling code	01227

Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Canterbury
List of places UK England Kent 51°16′30″N 1°05′13″E / 51.275°N 1.087°E / 51.275; 1.087Coordinates: 51°16′30″N 1°05′13″E / 51.275°N 1.087°E / 51.275; 1.087

Canterbury (ⁱ/ˈkæntərbri/, /-bəri/, or /-bɛri/) is a historic English cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.

The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion owing to the importance of St Augustine, who served as the apostle to the pagan Kingdom of Kent around the turn of the 7th century. The city's cathedral became a major focus of pilgrimage following the 1170 martyrdom of Thomas Becket, although it had already been a well-trodden pilgrim destination since the murder of St Alphege by the men of King Canute in 1012. A journey of pilgrims to Becket's shrine served as the frame for Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century classic The Canterbury Tales.