Paving the way to discover city’s history

A century ago, a local builder began laying paving stones across Canterbury to mark the city’s historical landmarks...

Sometimes the hidden treasures of Canterbury’s history are right under your nose – or, in this instance, right under your feet.

In the 1920s, local builder Walter Cozens laid paving stones across the city, marking the locations of its main historical sites. Seventeen still exist today, although they are easy to miss as many are now cracked, dirty and difficult to read. Most had lead lettering, which is now lost.

But what inspired Walter to lay them in the first place? He was born in Canterbury in 1858 and lived his whole life in the city he loved until his death in 1928.

Walter became a prominent local builder, with his family business run for many years at 37 High Street. His firm built both Simon Langton Schools that were lost in the Baedeker raid on Canterbury in 1942.

Yet his interests stretched far beyond just construction work.

A keen amateur archaeologist, he even laid out crazy paving in his back garden as 12 features taken from Saxon churches.

He was instrumental in the founding of the Canterbury Archaeological Society in 1920, served as a city councillor from 1922 to 1925 and was involved in the launch of the Canterbury Arts Council. Walter also maintained a museum of Canterbury history at the corner of St Dunstan’s and Station Road West – another building which fell victim to Second World War bombing.

He wrote a short history of Old Canterbury, referring to artefacts and maps held in his museum.

And in the 1930s, Walter stepped in to save All Saints Court in All Saints Lane from demolition after it was declared unfit for human habitation - and organised its restoration. Now Grade Ii-listed*, it remains one of Canterbury’s best surviving timber-framed buildings. This passion for the city’s history is likely what inspired him to lay the paving stones.

Beside Walter’s tombstone in St Martin’s graveyard lies a sarsen stone - to mark his career as a builder.

■ Information and pictures used with kind permission of CHAS (Canterbury Historical and Archaeological Society), founded by Walter Cozens and this year celebrating the 100th anniversary of its inaugural meeting in the (original) Guildhall in 1920.

To mark the centenary, CHAS is running competitions with cash prizes for various age groups. For more information, visit www. canterbury-archaeology.org.

Royal Mint paving stone outside what used to be Treds in the High Street

Walter Cozens’ family business at 37 High Street

The T. S. Cooper paving stone outside the Sidney Cooper Gallery and the Black Prince’s chantry stone in King Street, near the synagogue

Walter Cozens, local builder and amateur archaeologist