Parrot

Canterbury. Widely celebrated as Canterbury's oldest pub and one of it's most remarkable surviving medieval buildings, the structure dates back to approximately 1370. The foundations of the building are entirely Roman, built just outside of the Roman City Wall. Constructed during the same era that Canterbury Cathedral's famous towers were being erected, the property was originally known as St. Radigund's Hall. It was named after the Premonstratensian monks of St. Radigund's Abbey near Dover, who owned substantial land and estates in this part of Canterbury in the 13th and 14th centuries. The structure features a Crown Post Roof with medieval design features including oak "knees", futtocks (curved timbers), and three distinct crown posts. The exterior displays traditional jettied wings (overhanging upper storeys), a tile-hung first floor, and a recessed central section where the Great Hall once sat open to the roof. Inside, the building has uneven floorboards, massive exposed timber beams, 15th century Flemish brickwork lining the terrace, and 15th century chimneys visible from the rear garden.

"The Parrot" is believed to trace back to Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales". Local lore suggests Chaucer may have stayed at the venue, and he frequently mentioned a hostelry named " The Popinjay" (an archaic English word for parrot) in his writings. By the early 20th century the grand medieval hall had been subdivided into seven cramped tenements. In 1937 it was condemned as unfit for human habitation and was slated for demolition. Luckily local builder and historian W.C. Cozens stepped in to restore it to its medieval glory. The property transitioned into a public house named Simple Simon's before being bought in 2008 by Young's Brewery when the name was restored to The Parrot. It was acquired in 2010 by Shepherd Neame, Britain's oldest brewer. A classic old pub, it was nice to sit out in the garden, enjoy the sunshine, and sip on a pint of Master Brew.