The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge
About
A striking mock-Tudor building on the High Street combining an art gallery, museum, library and visitor information point under one roof, funded by a bequest from Kentish-born gold prospector Dr James George Beaney and opened in 1899. The collections range from Canterbury and Kent archaeology to British art and a curiosity cabinet of taxidermy and oddities, and the ground-floor cafe makes it an easy stop to break up a day of walking the old town. Free to enter, with paid exhibitions occasionally added.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓Free permanent collections of art, archaeology and curiosities
- ✓Named for Dr James George Beaney, a Kentish-born gold prospector
- ✓A working public library alongside the galleries
- ✓Right on the High Street, easy to fit into an old-town walk
Tips
- →Closed Mondays; Sunday hours are shorter, 11am-4pm.
- →The cafe is a good, central spot to break up sightseeing.
- →Special exhibitions occasionally carry a charge even though general entry is free.
Best Season
More Attraction Activities
Canterbury Cathedral
The mother church of the Church of England, founded in 597, where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170. Part of Canterbury's UNESCO World Heritage Site.
St Augustine's Abbey
The ruined 598 AD monastery founded by St Augustine, burial place of early Kentish kings, and part of Canterbury's UNESCO World Heritage Site.
St Martin's Church
The oldest parish church in continuous use in the English-speaking world, with fabric predating Augustine's 597 mission. Free, and part of the UNESCO site.