Spotlight on The Canterbury Tales Experience
Canterbury is lucky enough to boast many literary connections, but Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are surely the most famous. Around 30 tales of humour, morality, love, death and scandal, told through characters such as the Nun’s Priest, the Monk and the Merchant.
The original Canterbury Tales waxworks
The original Canterbury Tales tourist attraction opened in a disused church in 1987, and told the stories of Chaucer’s pilgrims through the sights, sounds and smells of Medieval England as they made their way from London to Canterbury. The righteous, bawdy and spooky tales were presented as a walk-through experience, with waxworks and audio commentary leading the visitor through the building.
I visited the attraction as a child, both on primary school trips and with my family, and the telling of the tales both captured my imagination and helped to spark my love of English Literature. Whilst studying Chaucer for my A Levels in 1995, I even organised a visit to Canterbury with some of my classmates, giving the impression that I was enjoying it ironically, but secretly loving every minute!
Understandably, the attraction closed in 2020, and since moving to Canterbury in 2022, I often wondered as I walked past what the building was like inside - were the waxworks still there, covered in cobwebs? Imagine my excitement when I heard that a pair of brave entrepreneurs had already taken on the project, planning to bring it back to life in a new and immersive way. I contributed to the Kickstarter as soon as I could to secure myself a ticket, and waited with eager anticipation for the opening.
Opening day was a long time coming. Escape room owners Lewis Hunt and Mica Dougan had visited the site at St. Margaret's Church in 2021, to see what could be salvaged from the set before it was destroyed, and ended up feeling inspired to take on the lease. They spent five years behind the scenes, using their expertise in special effects to redesign the attraction.
The beautiful exterior
I booked my ticket for a chilly Thursday afternoon in March. Tours last for an hour, and whilst a large group of people were leaving as I arrived, I was the only person that had booked this specific timeslot. Nevertheless, the gentleman at the ticket stand remained perfectly in character as he greeted me, and informed me what to expect on my journey from London to Canterbury. I showed my Talisman (mobile phone!) and began the tour.
Beginning in a low-lit tavern, the story began with a quick refresher on Chaucer, and how he brought literature - previously a rich person’s pleasure - to the masses. My teenage self found Middle English to be incredibly inaccessible, but when most great works at the time were written in Latin or French, Chaucer’s decision to use the language of everyday England was life-changing for many.
The Miller, the Carpenter, and the fireplace at the Tabard Inn
Moving further along the journey, it quickly became clear that this is not simply a revival of the old attraction, but a complete reimagining. The experience leans heavily into atmosphere, drawing you into a world with incredible attention to detail. (I had read previously that every stone on the cobbled streets of the attraction has been carved by hand!)
From the touching Knight’s Tale to the bawdy Miller’s, the moral (and decidedly spooky) Pardoner’s, and my personal favourite - the original feminist, the Wife of Bath, each story is brought to life using a different technique, from holograms and audiovisual effects to shadow puppetry and animatronics. Add in some well-timed physical effects, and it truly feels as though Chaucer’s stories have been given a new lease of life. I will add that wandering solo through a shadowy set in a former church, as spectacular as it was, proved to be hilariously unnerving!
Feeling slightly unnerved near some spooky trees
Completing my journey, I arrived at the Chequers of Hope Inn, where a very kindly innkeeper offered me some delicious mead. He challenged me to a game of Nine Men’s Morris - not dissimilar to checkers and noughts & crosses - and then promptly defeated me. Once again, I was impressed and amused that the innkeeper remained in character for such a small audience, and we had an excellent chat before wishing each other a good morrow.
Returning to the attraction as an adult was such a great experience; immersive, fun, and educational, with the love behind its revival evident at every turn. Having not visited since the 1990s, and having wondered what lay inside for the last four years, I can confirm that it was absolutely worth the wait.
