Location of the Seminar

London
The seminar is located in London and Canterbury so that we may study Chaucer in situ. London in the late fourteenth century has recently become a major topic in Chaucer studies. We will tour London-area Chaucer sites (including Southwark Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Cheapside, and the British Library, which houses Chaucer manuscripts), along with other medieval sites in and around the city. Very few structures remain from Chaucer’s day, but those that do—St. Bartholomew, Temple Church, the Guildhall, remnants of the ancient (originally Roman) London walls, and the Tower of London—will help us to uncover a Thames-centered culture and geography that readers of the Canterbury Tales often do not fully comprehend. A day trip to Oxford will allow us to see another of Chaucer’s worlds, the medieval university town.

Canterbury
Travel from London to Canterbury will be by chartered bus so that we may make stops at towns mentioned in the Canterbury Tales that retain their literary interest. In Canterbury itself, we will visit the Cathedral and St. Martin’s Church (the oldest parish church in England in continuous use), the ruins of the Castle and St. Augustine’s Abbey, and the City Walls near West Gate. One day will be devoted to exploring some remnants of the Pilgrims Way and, for those interested, taking a sturdy walk on it.

Free Time
Weekends will be free. Participants in the seminar also will have opportunities to explore London and Canterbury on their own. Occasional group activities will encourage collegiality without inhibiting this freedom. The Canterbury Tales displays an author who was well aware that the comforts of food, drink, and good lodging may loosen the tongue, enhance the spirit, and hold together a company of disparate, sometimes cantankerous folk. We stand firm in this philosophy.