KMMS is proud to host a community of staff and students from across the UK and the globe, and we recognise that attending KMMS may be many students first exposure to Canterbury; so, we have put together a guide to help you learn more about our city!

Accommodation 
First-year students can choose to live in accommodation provided by either the University of Kent or Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU). Accommodation is provided on a 44-week basis, and you’ll be living alongside other KMMS students, fostering a supportive and collaborative community. 
 
Park Wood Houses and Flats are a 5-10-minute walk from the Pears Building, where you will be located for most of your teaching on the University of Kent campus. Petros Court is located directly behind Augustine House, CCCU’s library and student services building, with Vernon Place only a 5-minute walk away. Both Vernon Place and Petros Court are an approximately 15-20-minute walk to the Verena Holmes Building, where some of your teaching with CCCU will take place. 
 
You can find more information regarding accommodation on the KMMS website.

Food shopping 

	🚗	🚌	🚲	👣	Uni
Morrisons, Ten Perch Road	15 mins	35 mins	15 mins	60 mins	Kent
	5 mins	15 mins	5 mins	25 mins	CCCU
Sainsbury’s, Kingsmead Road	10 mins	25 mins	10 mins	40 mins	Kent
	5 mins	10 mins	5 mins	25 mins	CCCU
Asda Canterbury Superstore, Sturry Road	10 mins	35 mins	15 mins	55 mins	Kent
	10 mins	15 mins	10 mins	35 mins	CCCU
Aldi, Sturry Road	10 mins	40 mins	15 mins	55 mins	Kent
	10 mins	15 mins	10 mins	35 mins	CCCU
Aldi, St Andrews Close	10 mins	25 mins	15 mins	50 mins	Kent
	5 mins	N/A	5 mins	10-15 mins	CCCU
Marks & Spencer, St George’s Street	10 mins	30 mins	10 mins	45 mins	Kent
	5 mins	N/A	5 mins	5-10 mins	CCCU
Tesco Express, Gravel Walk	10 mins	25 mins	10-15 mins	45 mins	Kent
	5 mins	N/A	5 mins	5 mins	CCCU
Waitrose & Partners, St George’s Place	10 mins	30 mins	10-15 mins	50 mins	Kent
	5 mins	N/A	5 mins	10 mins	CCCU
Iceland Supermarket Canterbury, Maynard Road	10 mins	30 mins	15 mins	55 mins	Kent
	5 mins	20 mins	5 mins	20 mins	CCCU
Kent Students’ Union Co-op – Park Wood, University of Kent	N/A	N/A	1 min	1 min	Kent
	10-15 mins	30 mins	20 mins	55 mins	CCCU
Kent Students’ Union Co-op, University of Kent	3 mins	10 mins	3 mins	10-15 mins	Kent
	10 mins	25 mins	15 mins	45 mins	CCCU

Takeaways 

Canterbury has a range of different cuisines for our students to sample. Tripadvisor provides a list of the best takeaway restaurants in Canterbury, allowing you to filter by meal type and cuisine. You can also look at websites such as Google Maps, Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats.   

Fitness 

There are a lot of gyms in and around Canterbury. Here are just a few: 

• University of Kent Sports Centre – with a variety of membership options to suit your activity levels 

• Christ Church Sports Centre – CCCU’s own sport centre, with discounts for new students 

• Puregym – from £19.99/month 

• Lifestyle Fitness – with day passes from £7.50 

And a bit further out: 

• Everlast Gym – for those living out towards Sturry 

Cycling, walking and sports 

There are over 400 cycling routes and bike trails in and around Canterbury, waiting to be explored. However long or short you would like to cycle, there is bound to be a route that suits you.

The North Downs Way is a 10-mile route, from Canterbury to Shepherdswell, with challenging and leisurely sections for cycling and walking. Enjoy the picturesque chalk escarpment which the North Downs Way is famous for.

The Great Stour Way provides stunning views and a path from Chartham to Canterbury. There is plenty of seating and shelters at viewpoints so you can enjoy the landscape.

The Crab and Winkle Way gives a taste of history. This easy access walk is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. It stats at the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery, then takes you through Margate Old Town, out into the open parkland. Then through the pretty village of St Peters, before heading into Broadstairs where the Dickens House Museum is the end point.

Transport 

Kent Connected is a tool dedicated to saving you time and money, improve the quality of your journey and your health, and ease congestion in Kent, by giving you the power to make smart travel choices. 

Train 

Canterbury East and West Stations are accessible by foot, both are a short walk from the main high street, and Canterbury East station is a two-minute walk from the main bus depot. Both train stations are served by Southeastern rail. Both train stations also provide direct links to London’s Victoria and St Pancras International stations, with Canterbury West less than an hour away via High Speed 1! 

Bus 

The following bus services serve the University: 

• The Uni1 and Uni2 buses service the University, ran by Stagecoach. Timetables are available on the University of Kent website. 

Stagecoach also serves the wider Kent area, including areas like Thanet, Margate, and Broadstairs. 

Once published, details of the costs for Stagecoach bus passes for 2026/7 can be found on their website. 

Parking 

Parking on the University of Kent campus requires a permit which can only be applied for under certain circumstances.

NHS discounts 

There are so many NHS Discounts you can access in Canterbury, using your NHS ID or Blue Light Card, including the Executive Taxi Service and numerous cafés.  

Shopping and entertainment 

If you are looking to go shopping in Canterbury, the High Street has some hidden gems, and Whitefriars has a few shops as well. Canterbury is also just a bus journey away from Bluewater Shopping Centre. 

Canterbury is full of traditional pubs and bars, both in and around the town centre. There are also several clubs, including Tokyo Tea Rooms, the Cuban and Club Chemistry. 

For entertainment, Curzon’s Canterbury Riverside cinema offers a luxury viewing experience of the most up to date movies. For under 25s, Curzon provides discounts on tickets, food and drinks. 

There’s also the Marlowe Theatre, which puts on a variety of different productions, from plays and musicals to stand-up comedy. Like the Curzon, the Marlowe also has a discount. Discovery tickets for 16–26-year-olds allow members to purchase tickets for £15. 

Finally, the Gulbenkian Arts Centre, the University of Kent’s very own Arts Centre puts on performances right on your doorstep! From theatre and live music to movies and festival events, the Gulbenkian has something for almost everyone. The Gulbenkian student membership provides discounts on live shows, film screenings, and food and drink. 

Places of worship 

There are several faith spaces at the University of Kent and CCCU. There are also several Christian Churches along and around Canterbury’s High Street. The Canterbury Mosque is located on Giles Street, on the University of Kent campus. The nearest Synagogues are Thanet & District Reform Synagogue, and Montefiore Synagogue in Ramsgate. 

We hope you found this informative! If you are a student living in Canterbury, please get in touch so that we can update these for future academic years. Also be sure to check out our placement guides for information regarding your Trust locations in Years 3-5 coming soon.