About this site
What we cover
This site is about The Canterbury Tales — Geoffrey Chaucer's collection of stories told by a company of pilgrims riding from Southwark to the shrine of Thomas Becket — and about the medieval world those stories came out of.
You will find an introduction to Chaucer and to each of the best known tales, background on daily life in fourteenth-century England, material written for schools studying the period, and practical pages about Canterbury itself, which remains one of the most complete medieval cities in the country.
Who it is for
Students meeting the poem for the first time, teachers looking for something they can use in a lesson, and general readers who want the story behind the story. Nothing here assumes you have read the Tales in Middle English, or at all.
How it is organised
- Chaucer & the Tales — the poet, the pilgrims and what happens in each tale.
- History — St Margaret's Church, the telling of the Tales in Canterbury, and the people involved.
- News — stories and features about Chaucer, the Tales and medieval Canterbury.
- Events — seasonal events, medieval fun days, storytelling, theatre and fairs.
- Education — theme days, learning resources and teachers' feedback.
- Groups — group visits, private hire, language-school tours and packages.
- Visiting — getting to Canterbury, access, and what to see while you are there.
Every page has a stable, permanent web address, so a bookmark or a link from a reading list will always land where you expect.
Who runs it
The site is published by Centraserve Ltd, a company registered in England. There is no charge to read anything, no account to create and no newsletter. See the privacy policy for how your data is handled and the terms of use for the rest.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, or something you think we have got wrong? Use the contact form. Every message is read.