About The King's Mile
Local Traders working with the Canterbury Independent Traders Association and Canterbury City Council are re-establishing the forgotten King's Mile in Palace Street and Northgate Area of the City, stretching from the top of Guildhall Street, through Palace Street, the Borough to the far end of Northgate. Apparently named after the area's links with King's School and royalty.
Conquest House, now an antiques shop, was the place where the four knights met the night before they killed Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral. It also has associations with King Charles 1st.
The current palace is built on Archbishop Lanfranc's palace, mentioned in The Domesday Book and a wall and gateway of the original Palace still remains in Palace Street through which Archbishops and crowned heads of England including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I may have passed.
In medieval times the Roman gate spanning the street at Northgate contained an upper chamber that became the church of St. Mary, Northgate. At this gate, the Mayor and Corporation would receive Royalty and present them with the keys to the city.
The modern King's Mile with its special signing, offers a huge variety of independent retail businesses, a designer goldsmith, designer ceramicist, a paint your own pottery studio, hair boutiques and beauty salons, fashion boutiques, specialist lighting, antiques showrooms and many more.
Add to these diverse retail therapy outlets, you can enjoy restaurants of all flavours from Spanish Tapas, Indian, Italian, Chinese and of course English.
To find out more about the shops and businesses along The King's Mile, view the dedicated shop directory on our website.
