The building we occupy is built on the site of
the Tabard Inn, most famously the place where Geoffrey Chaucer
met the pilgrims with whom he travelled to Canterbury in 1386,
a journey that became the inspiration for
The Canterbury Tales.
In 2003 to commemorate this we were awarded a blue heritage
plaque by Southwark Council. It was unveiled that November
by medieval enthusiast and former Python Terry Jones.
In his speech Terry said that The Canterbury Tales
is not only hugely significant culturally (it was the first
long form poem to be written in English, rather than Latin),
but also historically. 'The descriptions of his characters,
the way that they speak and behave and the England through
which they travel are so vivid it's as if Chaucer was using
poetry to record the 14th Century world in much the same way
that people record their lives today using video.'
We're extremely proud to be connected with Southwark's rich
cultural heritage in this way and are always pleased to welcome
visitors.
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