Franciscans arrived in Canterbury 800 years ago in the wake of St Thomas Becket’s murder. Their hidden garden survives off the main street carrying the Pilgrims’ Way to the Cathedral.
An early supporter of the newly arrived Franciscans was Archdeacon Simon Langton, brother of Archbishop Stephen Langton who negotiated Magna Carta and presided over the translation of Thomas Becket’s body to his permanent shrine in the cathedral.
Herbs known to the friars and used in medicine can be found throughout the gardens where just a visit was thought to be part of achieving recovery.
‘Mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales’ says a notice below a Medlar tree. The fruit is best enjoyed when ripe and almost mushy.
A more recent addition is a Victorian vinery where its plant is claimed to come from a cutting of Hampton Court’s famous vine. The structure is part of ongoing restoration.
The Franciscan Gardens along with the Greyfriars Chapel are part of the Eastbridge Hospital founded in 1180 with Becket’s nephew Ralph as its first master.
The Hospital provided accommodation for poor pilgrims whilst the Franciscan chapel spanning the water was also a guesthouse.
Today’s pilgrims bearing a pilgrim passport are welcome to enjoy the Gardens free of charge.
Open during the middle of the day from 11am. Admission £4 for other visitors.
