Location of the Seminar
London
The seminar is located in London so that we may study Chaucer in situ. We will tour London-area Chaucer sites including Southwark Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Cheapside (Chaucer’s birthplace), the British Library, and the British Museum (with its fine display of medieval artifacts), along with other medieval sites in and around the city. Very few structures remain from Chaucer’s day, but those that do—St. Bartholomew’s Church, 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, including a tour of the old city and visits to Christchurch College and the Bodleian Library.
Canterbury
An overnight trip will go to Canterbury by chartered bus (return by train), with several stops at towns that are mentioned in the Canterbury Tales and retain their literary interest. In Canterbury itself, we plan to visit the Cathedral, St. Martin’s Church (the oldest parish church in England in continuous use), the ruins of St. Augustine’s Abbey, and other sites. Participants will be responsible for the cost of one night’s lodging in Canterbury. We will provide a list of B&Bs and other accommodations.
Free Time
Weekends will be free, and participants will have many opportunities to explore on their own, including some extra time in Canterbury and Oxford. Occasional group activities will encourage collegiality without inhibiting this freedom. The Canterbury Tales’ author 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.
