At one point in time, the city of Canterbury had seven gates. Over the following centuries, however, all were demolished with the exception of the West Gate tower, making it both the last surviving medieval gateway in Canterbury as well as the largest surviving city gate in the entire United Kingdom. While it was initially built for war, the stubborn structure has come to wear many hats across the centuries. Because the tower was built during the Hundred Years War with France in 1380, the 60-foot tall structure’s defensive function…
