St Augustine's Abbey — Attraction in Canterbury

I love historical places and I have to admit that this was pretty disappointing. The ruins are ruins and I think the price (£7 if I remember well) is a bit expensive for ruins. I know that the entrance money is use to keep the ruins in great conditions but it doesn't worth the price. Also, I would like to mention an issue I had with the ticket person. I came to visit the Abbey around 3.30pm on the 18th of August. When I arrive the person in charge of selling ticket offer me to suscribe to the English heritage membership. I am not English so I didn't really know what it was, I asked what is the benefits she told me " you have free entrance to loads of historical place, such as stonehenge " without mentioning that there is a cost. To be honest, I didn't know what was the cost of it and I think she should have mention when she offered the subscription. I am sorry but NOT EVERYONE know the price of the English Heritage membership. So we carry on, give her my address etc. Then she said you can now pay, and I see on the screen " £56 " and I am like... well why is it £56? She said " that's for the English Heritage membership ". I was so embarrassed that I almost pay for it because she was looking at me like I am stupid and people were behind me. I said " I didn't know it was £56 " and she looked at me in a very pretentious and aggressive way and said " you don't want it then?! ", I was really really embarrassed and her attitude didn't help at all. I reply no thanks. And from someone very friendly and nice she became very cold with me and said " that'd be £7 " (not sure about the price I can't really remember). Her attitude made me so uncomfortable and the beggining of the visit of the ruins was... ruined to me. I am really unhappy with that person and I know that probably few people has agreed to pay for the £56 because she didn't mention it when she offered it and they were too embarrassed to say no... very ugly...

As a member of English Heritage, I don’t have to pay for admission. The site was formerly occupied by the Canterbury Hospital, which was eventually converted to a school, which I attended. It was weird wandering around the site, working out where things used to be. The actual Abbey has long been dismantled and it was interesting trying to work out, with the help of the guide book, where rooms were when the Abbey was in use. So, for me, it was working out where long gone buildings used to be. There’s a free guide in the form of headphones. I didn’t use it but I saw it in use. As you approach certain signs the headphones tell you what you are looking at and, for example, what it was used for. Looking up you had some really good views of Canterbury Cathedral and also one of the local Universities, Christ Church University College which is adjacent to the Abbey. I spent about an hour there as I was only able to commit that amount of time. No doubt I will return, probably with my wife, daughter and grandchildren for a proper visit. The guide book gives me some insight into what to look for. I now rely on the use of a walking stick and, although the site is covered in grass, I easily managed to ascend the grassy mounds - I don’t remember the steps but when I was younger I wouldn’t have used them anyway - and walk around areas that were “out of bounds” to me when I went to school there. A very enjoyable, albeit...

Atmospheric ruined abbey with a history dating back to the year 598. The abbey buildings served various purposes over their life, including as a palace and a school. Less remains of these buildings than at many other abbey sites around the UK, so the main attraction at St Augustine's is the exhibition room. This exhibition houses a large collection of artefacts discovered during archaeological investigations at the site, all clearly displayed. Information boards and timelines cover the abbey's founding, development and eventual destruction. Digital audio guides are available to lead visitors around the ruins. On-site facilities are good, with a gift shop (also serving snacks and drinks), toilets and outdoor seating. The grounds are dog friendly. There's no on-site parking, but Canterbury has no shortage of paid parking areas a short walk away. At the time of my visit, the ticket price for non-members was £9.50, decent value considering the high standard of the exhibition. Advance online bookings receive a 15% discount so I'd advise this for the saving. Check the English Heritage website for opening times. While visiting, I'd advise also looking at St Martin's Church, another of Canterbury's most important historic sites, a short walk away...