England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Canterbury St Dunstan

The Parish

The ancient city of Canterbury is located about 55 miles southeast of London on the A2 road (a Roman creation) which connects the capital with the major Kent port of Dover, the gateway to Calais and the continent of Europe. Canterbury was probably founded in pre-Roman times but the conquerors certainly grew its stature and turned it into one of their major administrative centres, subsequently its became the Saxon capital of the kingdom of Kent and eventually the major religious centre for Christianity in southeast England. Canterbury became the seat of the Archbishopric following the drive to convert the country in the 6th century. Canterbury remains the administrative capital of Kent (despite Maidstone's pretensions) and a significant market for the whole of eastern Kent. Canterbury, like many of England's ancient cities, is divided into many parishes (in the case of Canterbury - 17) and St Dunstan's parish was a true suburb outside the original walled city and consisting of city suburbs and a thin strip of countryside extending northwestwards between the more rural parishes of Harbledown & Hackington, its population was not separately enumerated in early gazetteers but the volume of marriages is consistent with one of around 900 parishioners. Canterbury is drained by the Great Stour which flows which flows northeastwards to reach the North Sea through the port of Sandwich. St Dunstan's church is sited at 20 metres above sea level, on rising ground along the A290 road headed for Whitstable which reaches 70 metres just beyond the University site. As a great city by the time of Norman invasion Canterbury is documented extensively in Domesday Book, too much so to re-document here.

The Church

St Dunstan's church stands, appropriately enough, at the top of St Dunstan's Street at its junction with London Road, this would have been the first point at which pilgrims headed for Canterbury would have entered the built environment. Whilst there are quoins and herringbone-laid flints of Saxon origin traces of these pre-Conquest element remain relatively small scale. The church's early origins are, however, confirmed by the main body of nave and chancel which are 12th century and Norman Romanesque in style. To this early church, in the early 14th century and Decorated in style, a southern aisle and northwestern chapel were added. It is believed the latter was added to accommodate the pilgrims which by then were increasing in volume. The latter half of the 14th century and 15th century saw the addition of the rather thin tower, placed to the southwest because of the constraints of the urban site. Also Perpendicular is the contemporary northern porch and western doorway to the nave which Pevsner terms "handsome". The final early addition came in the Tudor 16th century when the brick-formed southeastern chapel was completed. A typical restoration of 1880 completed the church as we see it today. Given the urban site there is little opportunity for parking close by, better to find a car park and walk. The site has trees to the southwest which limit the views of that tower and close properties to both west and south so only a few aspects are available for the photographer