Take a walk about Canterbury city centre and explore the history behind our heritage statues.
The Marlowe Memorial - ‘Kitty Marlowe’
Marlowe Theatre
The Marlowe Memorial Statue represents the Muse of Poetry and is nicknamed ‘Kitty Marlowe’ by locals (Christopher Marlowe was known as ‘Kit Marlowe’). Four Marlovian characters are below her: Tamburlaine, Barabas, Faustus and Edward II. It was sculpted by Onslow Ford in 1891 and sponsored by a committee that included the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the actor Sir Henry Irving.
Bulkhead
Marlowe Theatre
‘Bulkhead’ was designed by Gillinghamborn sculptor Rick Kirby as part of the 2003 Blok sculpture festival. Canterbury City Council bought the popular statue, which was moved to their offices in 2009 and re-erected in 2011 by the newly revamped Marlowe Theatre. Based on Christopher Marlowe’s famous description of Helen of Troy as "the face that launch'd a thousand ships", ‘Bulkhead’ was constructed using scrap metal recovered from ships along the Kentish coast.
Alluvia
River Stour, Westgate
Installed in September 2024, the new Alluvia replaced two previous incarnations on the bed of the river Stour. The LED-lit statue was created by the international artist Jason deCaires Taylor and references Sir John Millais’s celebrated painting of Shakespeare’s character Ophelia. It’s made from recycled glass and is fitted with sensors to measure the movement and pollution in the water flowing over it.
Geoffrey Chaucer
Corner of Best Lane and the High Street
Unveiled in October 2016 to commemorate the ‘Father of English Literature’, Chaucer’s statue is sculpted by Kent-based Sam Holland ARBS. The large horse-hoof plinth is sculpted in bas-relief by Yorkshire-based Lynn O’Dowd and depicts 30 characters, each from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales but also linked to (and depicted as) a local person - can you spot Canterbury-born actor Orlando Bloom as The Young Squire?
Dave Lee
Marlowe Theatre/Friars Bridge
Local legend Dave Lee MBE (1947-2012) performed at more than 1,000 pantos at the Marlowe Theatre. His Dave Lee Happy Holidays Charity raised £2 million during his lifetime for ill and disabled children and their families in Kent. Hundreds, including the Lord Mayor, attended his funeral service at Canterbury Cathedral. His statue was unveiled in 2014, inscribed with his famous phrase: “Well, we’ll have to do it again, won’t we? Whoops!”
The Point
Junction of Longmarket and High Street
Your own lovely face can be the star of the city’s newest installation! Take a photo through the centre of The Point for a unique picture, especially when it’s lit up at night. Designed by local architect Andrew Clague and carved by stonemason Gary Newton, the 3.5m high Portland stone and stainless steel column was gifted to the city in April by the Rotary Club to mark their Centenary. It serves as a water bottle filling station, designed to help reduce single-use plastic. Longmarket used to be the site of a drinking fountain and horse trough. The inscription is from Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress: “Behold ye, how these crystal streams do glide, to comfort pilgrims by the highway-side.”
