Here and There with Claire

Today, 22 March, a new chapter of history is being written on the footpaths of Kent. Dame Sarah Mullally is completing a remarkable 87-mile pilgrimage from St Paul’s Cathedral in London to England’s mother church, Canterbury Cathedral. Her journey marks a monumental milestone: Dame Sarah is the first woman to be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. As the 106th person to hold the office—succeeding a line that stretches back to St Augustine in 597 AD—she is treading a path both

2 February (Candlemas) marks the 400th anniversary of the coronation of King Charles I at Westminster Abbey in London. The lavish ceremony was designed to emphasise royal power and splendour, reflecting Charles’s firm belief in the divine right of kings and absolute monarchy. The coronation was particularly notable because his wife, Queen Henrietta Maria, was not present . A devout Catholic, she refused to take part in a Protestant religious ceremony and is said to have wat

This week marks the 250 th anniversary of the publication of “Common Sense”, a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating American independence from Great Britain at the beginning of the American Revolution. This publication was a huge instant success, selling over 100,000 copies in three months, and was said to have inspired the Declaration of Independence in July later that same year. This led to Paine becoming known as the “Father of the American Revolution,” having pla

Biddenden is a quaint and picturesque village in the Weald of Kent, near Tenterden. Amongst its most famous former residents are Eliza...

As we mark International Women’s Day today (8 March), it is an appropriate time to think of some of the pioneering women with Canterbury...