Description
The Ducking Stool can be seen from the King's Bridge by the Old Weavers' House you will see a wooden seat protruding out over the river. According to Canterburyculture.org, the city was once home to Theodore of Tarsus, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 669-690 and bought in legislation against witches in Kent. If you were accused of being a witch you were sat in the stool and it was then lowered in the dirty water for several minutes, and if you came up alive then you were as accused. If not then you would be proven innocent and would receive a formal letter of apology from the Church… This would be in full view of crowds who would stand on the bridge.
Witches were not the only ones put in the hot seat as it were, they were also used as punishing ‘scolds’ a term for nagging or gossiping wives, who were dunked by their husbands who paid for them to be put in the stool in the hope their supposed bad behaviour would improve.
Opening Hours
Daylight hours.
Price
Free
Train
Canterbury West and Canterbury East.
Bus
Bus depot at top of the high street for all bus routes in and out of the city.
Parking
Park and Ride
Approaching from Dover: New Dover Road CT13EJ
Approaching from Thanet: Sturry Road CT11AD
Approaching from Ashford: Wincheap CT13TY
Pay & Display car parks and streets around town.
Picture Credit: ULW Pix.
